There is simply no ignoring it — eggs are far more expensive than ever before. Currently, the wholesale cost of a dozen conventionally produced eggs is as high as $9 in California, and just above $6 in New York, which means yet higher prices at the cash register nationwide.
So what exactly is going on?
In brief, the country is undergoing an egg shortage, caused by an ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (sometimes more commonly known as bird flu). An ever-high demand for this staple food against a now short supply means more expensive eggs — but the causes of this shortage and the trend toward higher prices are more complex than that.
Practices in egg production across the country leave egg-laying hens vulnerable to infection. Cal-Maine, which far and away owns more egg-laying hens than any other producer, has long been at the center of controversy for alleged mistreatment and poor housing for hens. Beyond humanitarian concerns for the welfare of these animals, the confined spaces in which they live can serve as a breeding ground for diseases like avian influenza, which then entails the deliberate culling of flocks, resulting in egg shortages.
Just last year, Cal-Maine committed $40 million to expanding cage-free housing for egg-laying hens, and cage-free hens comprised 40 percent of the egg-laying population in March 2024, largely in anticipation of upcoming regulatory changes. However, these adjustments have not done much to curtail the spread of avian influenza, given the fact that “cage free” does not necessarily mean unconfined, well-ventilated spaces for chickens.
With all the above considered, the need becomes clear for at-once diversified and localized supplies of egg-laying hens, prioritizing pasture-raised chickens
Our reliance on large-scale, enclosed facilities that house thousands of chickens leave the supply chain too dependent on single locations serving millions of consumers. When one such facility must shut its doors, consumers bear the brunt of the resulting costs.
While hens raised outdoors are not immune to avian influenza, and, in fact, its transmission occurs via exposure to wild waterfowl, confinement is most often the factor that leads to large-scale infections and the decision to destroy flocks en masse. With the proper biosecurity measures in place, pastured chickens fare better than those kept indoors.
In addition, corporate consolidation across the agricultural industry encourages sometimes illegal anticompetitive market practices that keep both wholesale and retail prices high, even when the food supply is normalized. In 2023, for example, a federal price-fixing case found Cal-Maine, Rose Acre Farms, and other industry groups that are among the nation’s largest egg producers guilty of intentionally reducing their supply to artificially raise the price of eggs for other food manufacturers.
While Congress continues to work on a new Farm Bill, the rising cost of eggs, and the cost of food in general, should move us to find policy solutions that encourage locally based, responsible, and resilient agricultural practices. State and federal support for a diversified food economy could not only help keep prices low in times of crisis, but also help avoid these crises altogether.
