Keep in mind that factory farmed animals live life in the dark, crowded with thousands of others in one room, have their bodies mutilated, are constantly sick, are separated from family and prevented from living normal lives, and die prematurely so meat prices can stay low. Is a slightly steeper price too much to ask to spare animals from that? http://ffacoalition.org/media/

Additionally, feeding the world with meat is not the way to go. Think about it-- around 10% of the energy contained in plants is made available in the meat of the animals who eat it. No matter how "efficient" meat production is, 90% of the energy that could have been available to hungry people nationwide and worldwide is lost. The taste of meat could never be worth such a sacrifice to starving humans, tortured animals, and the damaged environment. http://ffacoalition.org/media/

The jobs that are provided are actually nearly as horrifying as what happens to animals. PTSD and mental illness are actually common, and factory farm workers are severely underpaid. The subject is addressed in the following video: http://ffacoalition.org/media/

Actually, factory farms do the opposite. By sending corn and other plants through farmed animals like cows, the food supply is "diluted." Without factory farming, that grain could go to third world countries and local poor instead of using ten times the grain for the same amount of food. Factory farming is the exact opposite of "efficient."

http://naturalsociety.com/factory-farms-the-only-way-to-‘feed-the-world’-not-so-argues-science-paper/

Yes, you can get sick almost anywhere. But factory farming creates not just diseases, but "superbugs," highly evolved, antibiotic-resistant bacteria that pose a real threat to human health. Of course factory farming doesn't cause sickness-- it just makes it exponentially more dangerous. http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/pressreleases/superbugs-on-the-factory-farm/