Humans are at the top of the chain, purely because of our ability to invent. We create tools that give us domniance. Unless some other species can do that, we are uncontested, and that's our right. And that do comes with some degree of responsibility, else all would perish.

You mentioned that species at the top of the food chain consume more, resulting in instability of the pyramid and its eventual collaspe.

Take the example of a cattle, it consumes 40 pounds of food daily, whilst humans consume 8 pounds of food daily. A cattle can conceivably feed many humans for several meals.

There is a chinese idiom: 削足适履

Say, your feet have out grown your shoe.
Do you buy a bigger shoe or cut your feet down to size.

Cutting your feet down to size would be a largely impossible solution. Which government would have the right to execute its fellow citizens in the name of population control? Finding reasons to deserve to live is easy but deserve to die is not. As individuals how would you feel if you and your loved ones are targeted for extermination?

However, of course we could try slowing the growth of feet so we wouldn't have to get new shoes so frequently.

As food scientist this would be more relavent. We are charged with the sacred task of managing our food resources to support the world population, a.k.a getting a bigger shoe.