The best way to avoid it is through sex education, and readily available birth control. Places like Denmark, which has such, still has plenty of resources, but their population is actually shrinking a little (at least according a Danish person I know). There's probably other sociological aspects influencing it that I'm not thinking of, but it is really important.
In places where sex education and birth control are lacking you end up with rapid population growth. India is actually a good example, as is obviously the quiverfull movement. China at least has put a stop to such rapid population growth (though I can't say I like how they're doing it), yet they still have such a huge population it's actually cheaper to hire someone to hold a light than to buy a tripod for it.
rosenewock21: If you're looking at a substitution for harder to raise meat because of the protein then there's actually a better solution than what you suggest and seem to be looking for. If one decides to look at the efficiency of the animal turning feed into body weight and how much processed meat is obtained from that, then the winner isn't any common livestock; it's insects (
link). I know, I know, in Western nations they carry that squick factor, but considering that 80% of nations eat them regularly (
link) it really is more that we're just not culturally acclimated to the idea of eating them instead of it being some innate thing. I admit I have yet to try eating insects, but the idea of honey roasted crickets does seem appealing.