What slows population growth (and what does so in a non-evil way) is stuff like women getting political rights and economic independence, plus general improvements in education and material conditions.
Top-down population controls arguably don't work (I'd have to dig back into my research on the topic, but population control measures in India and China failed to produce immediate results) and even if they do, they lead to all sorts of awful side effects.
I wouldn't deny the subject outright. The Earth does have some carrying capacity, even if you don't think we're particularly close to it, and it's easier to raise living standards and build a sustainable way of living with 10 billion people instead of 20.
Population outside of Africa is already at 80% of it peak, and by 2050 will be at 95% of its peak, so any strict measures taken will provide marginal result. As for Africa, it has been consistently shown, like you said that providing healthcare and human rights (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda) has done a far better job than mere family planning (Nigeria, DRC, )
The angle to take on population growth is that:
I wouldn't deny the subject outright. The Earth does have some carrying capacity, even if you don't think we're particularly close to it, and it's easier to raise living standards and build a sustainable way of living with 10 billion people instead of 20.
Population outside of Africa is already at 80% of it peak, and by 2050 will be at 95% of its peak, so any strict measures taken will provide marginal result. As for Africa, it has been consistently shown, like you said that providing healthcare and human rights (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda) has done a far better job than mere family planning (Nigeria, DRC, )