Benevolent Outreach 3 problem (+5 pop)

I took the trait that gives me my first building rushed.  I usually choose a factory.  When I reach the stage you are talking about, I start planets with a free Farm and that helps a lot.  When I pick up enough techs or resources to boost my initial food, I can switch to starting with other improvements.

Another thing to do is put the planet on an individual setting to all production for the time it takes to get the farm out.  It minimizes the starvation.

 Change it to "30 stored manufacturing" boost so you can build your first level 1 building in 1 turn.

 

End of quote

That screws over factions with the Colonizer trait thou.

The solution here is rather simple:  Don't take it until one will have at least 6 units of food on each planet (easily doable via techs or trade resources).  Then send out all of your colony ships with only .5 or 1 pop unit.

In fact, as I check, it should only take 1 +1 food tech or 1 +1 food trade resource.  Since this is a third level Benevolent trait, it's not like one is going to get it right away anyway.  So just wait a spell.

Alternatively, send out an extra colony ship or transport (if you have them) behind it and pick up the surplus pop that way.  Though, as I said, by this time one really should have at least one tech that gives +1 food.

(PS:  As I look at the tech tree, and I see which techs give +1 food, this is another reason NOT to have "collapsible specializations". :p) 

Quoting BuckGodot, reply 2

That screws over factions with the Colonizer trait thou.

The solution here is rather simple:  Don't take it until one will have at least 6 units of food on each planet (easily doable via techs or trade resources).  Then send out all of your colony ships with only .5 or 1 pop unit.

End of BuckGodot's quote

   1)  stored manufacturing can be used to build the second building.

   2)  I play Prolific.  My planets started with as much as 11 Pop as a result.