If tomatoes represent a small subset of food, they are considered to be:

When considering the scarcity of tomatoes in relation to food as a whole, it's important to understand what scarcity means in this context. Scarcity refers to the limited availability of a resource relative to the demand for that resource. In the case of tomatoes, if they represent a small subset of food, it implies that they are less commonly available than food overall.

Since tomatoes are just one type of food among many others, there can be a greater abundance of various other food items, which would make tomatoes relatively scarcer compared to the entire range of food. This reflects the idea that while tomatoes may still be available, their limited representation compared to the overall food supply signifies that they are less accessible or available in comparison to the full variety of food options.

Thus, the correct understanding is that tomatoes are indeed perceived as more scarce than food in general, as they comprise only a small part of the broader food category, which includes a vast array of other items that might be more readily available.