The apparent efficiency may depend on whether the manufacturers and the immediate customers pick up all of the costs, or whether negative externalities or other

The apparent efficiency may depend on whether the manufacturers and the immediate customers pick up all of the costs, or whether negative externalities or other costs are picked up by third parties. E.g mass agriculture may make food cheaper at the cost of environmental damage due to use of pesticides, soil erosion, etc. These costs may be picked up by wider society or just ignored.