Our Hungry Planet: Golden Eggs

The price of eggs has increased by almost 60% over the past two years due to increasing demand from consumers in developing countries and rising feed costs. This article presents an overview of the U.S. egg industry, including a discussion of long-term trends.

Increasing prices are due to rapid consolidation and industrialized production, leaving fewer players producing the bulk of the nation’s eggs. Newer environmental regulations also prohibit expansion or entry by new players in the industry. However, the most significant influence on pricing has been the reduction in size of hen flocks.