More into the problem

As for the environment, the food system plays possibly the largest role in environmentally-related issues. Factory farm is a term used to describe large companies that have industrialized and confined the "farms" that are more revolved around the profit. “Industrial livestock production is the fastest growing form of animal farming, responsible for 43% of the world’s meat in 1996, up from 37% in the period 1991-93. This includes half of the world’s total pigmeat and poultry meat, 10% of all beef and sheep meat and two-thirds of all eggs.” (Per-Anders, 2013) With this popular means of getting food to people’s tables, there is a lot of information left in the dark, about what actions an individual can take to avoid this. But first, the facts… 

There are the three main Greenhouse Gases, which the food system plays that large role in altering; Carbon, Methane, and Nitrogen. 

CO2 is the most abundant Greenhouse gas and livestock accounts for 9% of the overall CO2 that are human-derived, The companies pollute this gas while transporting the feed to the animals, transporting the animals about, as well as maintaining their facilities. 

Methane, the other main Greenhouse gas is produced by the animals themselves and contributing to the facilities carbon footprint. 

Lastly, Nitrogen, is mainly produced by the pesticide usage. That gets released into the local waters, by the action of runoff. 

Poor management of the land is a large factor that also contributes to harming the environment, the land is stripped of its trees and native species that existed before to make room for the building which will house as many livestock as they can shove in. Without the plant life, a domino-effect occurs; nothing to stabilize the soil, thus increasing the effects of runoff  as well as a loss of biodiversity. 

 Sources:

Fritzson, Anna, and Thore Berntsson. "Energy Efficiency In The Slaughter And Meat Processing Industry—Opportunities For Improvements In Future Energy Markets." Journal Of Food Engineering 77.4 (2006): 792-802. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 July 2013.  

Covered more about energy usage, and how the meat industry uses more than other industries (i.e. plant production) ***' (I rate the site 3.5 stars)  

Per-Anders Hansson, et al. "Can Carbon Footprint Serve As An Indicator Of The Environmental Impact Of Meat Production?." Ecological Indicators 24.(2013): 573-581. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 July 2013.

Discussing the science behind how much we emit and what exactly a carbon footprint is, why it matters? This source also goes more into how meat production is affecting the environment. **** (I rate the site 4 stars)  

"Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gases than Driving Cars, UN Report Warns." UN News Center. UN, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 13 Aug. 2013.

Percentages on the effects of the meat industry on the environment -exactly what I was looking for during my research! ***** (5 stars)