Why are Egg Prices so High and Where Can you Find Good, Less Expensive Eggs?

By Harry Rhodes, FACT Executive Director

It seems that every day we hear about the rising price of eggs and egg shortages. We at FACT are asking how did we get into this situation and what can you, as a consumer, do about it?

There is no doubt that bird flu (H5N1) has severely affected American poultry farms, particularly those that produce eggs. It has infected both large industrial farms and small, indoor, and pastured operations. However, bird flu has not had as much of an impact in other countries, such as our neighbors in Canada. So why the discrepancy? The biggest culprit is the US dependency on the industrial food system, which is very consolidated and relies on huge farms to provide eggs to the majority of the US population.

According to Mike von Massow from the University of Guelph, in Ontario:
“But perhaps the biggest difference is that egg farms in Canada are much smaller, so when one farm does suffer a flu outbreak, the effects are less far-reaching. The typical egg farm in Canada has about 25,000 laying hens, whereas many farms in the U.S. have well over a million. In effect, American farmers have put a lot more of their eggs in a relatively small number of baskets.”

This industrial, highly concentrated system also means that just a few large corporations, like Cal-Maine Foods which controls 20% of the egg market, can control the egg prices. According to Farm Action, Cal-Maine’s gross profits increased by 237% between FY21 and FY24. Farm Action has brought lawsuits against this price gauging and in February 2025 the Department of Justice opened an antitrust investigation into the industry as a result of Farm Action’s investigations.

“Evidence indicates that by not increasing their supply, the five dominant egg firms are forcing prices to stay high while reporting dramatic profit increases and level sales.”

*Because the US industrialized food system is dominated by a few large corporations it can make shopping for humanely-raised, healthy food very challenging and complicated. Add to that the hype about egg shortages and high prices, the whole experience can be stressful.

So, what can you, the individual shopper, do to find healthy, humanely raised eggs that do not cost a fortune?

We encourage you to explore Farmers Markets and local farm stores as these are excellent places to find pastured and humanely raised eggs. Many farmers are keeping their prices stable despite the recent bird flu, and with the warming temperatures of spring and fresh grasses, they often have an abundance of eggs as their chickens naturally increase their laying frequency.

You can also look for a farm or farm store near you through FACT’s Directory of Humane & Pasture-Based Farms.

Finally, if you must get your eggs at the supermarket, as most of us do, you can look for eggs that are raised humanely, preferably on pasture. FACT’s Humane Food Label Guide can help you navigate through the different labels and claims so that you can find eggs with labels you can trust. Surprisingly, sometimes these eggs are less expensive than the bigger brands.

If you’re looking for organic eggs you can trust I suggest you use The Cornucopia Institute’s “Organic Egg Scorecard”:

We at FACT believe that there is a better way to raise good, healthy food and are committed to helping consumers navigate through a challenging food system and supporting our pasture-based farming community to thrive.