Jonathan Swift's "Modest Proposal" was that Irish babies should be fattened for English tables.

"A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick"  (1729)

"Swift goes to great lengths to support his argument, including a list of possible preparation styles for the children, and calculations showing the financial benefits of his suggestion."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal