[Wolfman77]

If you took over for someone else in toe middle of the game I think you are stuck, at least I have found no way to do it without organic in a stock game. And I havent tried "optimal" but I have seen "mild" at 0% before. I don't think it can go below that though, I don't think(could in SEIII, I wonder if that was changed intentionally). Increasing their happiness will raise growth, of course. The only *possible* way is to convince an organic race to build a colony in your system build the pop modifiers then give you the planet. If you can do that, you should consider a career in politics. Thats all I can think of, maybe someone else has an idea.