“On the basis of a hypothetical world population of one billion in the early nineteenth century and an adequate means of subsistence at that time, Malthus suggested that there was a potential for a population increase to 256 billion within 200 years but that the means of subsistence were only capable of being increased enough for nine billion to be fed at the level prevailing at the beginning of the period. He therefore considered that the population increase should be kept down to the level at which it could be supported by the operation of various checks on population growth, which he categorized as “preventive” and “positive” checks.”
I have known of Malthus for a long time but never read him. Based on the paragraph above it appears that he was not the madman that some suggest but made a very reasonable projection at the time. He said that food production at about this time would support a world population of nine billion which would be more than adequate for the current population. His error was in thinking that population would increase far more rapidly than it has. If people had continued to have eight or more children per family he might have been proven right. My mother had eight siblings and my father had seven siblings but my now deceased parents have only three great grandchildren.
You're right - more children OR if we had not increased food production per acre to levels beyond anything Malthus could have imagined in his wildest dreams. His math was fine but this future forecast was waaaaay off. Malthus - - right on the math, wrong on the path the future would take... which is almost always the rub.