Factory farming can be viewed as a mindset focused primarily on minimizing production costs. This approach prioritizes efficiency and profitability, often overlooking the broader implications of such practices. As a result, key issues like environmental harm, public health risks, and the suffering of animals are frequently dismissed or neglected in the pursuit of reducing expenses.

Jonathan Safran Foer, in his book "Eating Animals," emphasizes that this mentality leads to significant ethical and ecological concerns. The systematic approach to externalizing these costs presents a challenge for society, as it disregards the interconnectedness of food practices with health and the environment, highlighting the urgent need for more responsible methods in food production.