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Policy Panorama is a place to discuss the laws, systems, and norms that impact our lives and the planet. We welcome thoughtful discussion on policy and policy-adjacent topics at all levels, from the international to the local.

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Why American Eggs Got So Damn Expensive

11 min readApr 25, 2025

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The flu was convenient. The scarcity? Designed. (created by author)

In a country where bacon cheeseburgers are cheaper than fruit, the working-class protein—scrambled, boiled, cracked into boxed ramen—has somehow become a luxury item. And not just a luxury. A political landmine.

Yes, we’re talking about eggs leading to U.S. , , and even the very in his State of the Union: “Prices must come down.” Then, within days, the market cracked — Humpty Dumpty fell from a cliff and prices plummeted from a historic per dozen to around three dollars, exactly . Not over a quarter. Not over a month. Just over two weeks.

So, what really happened here?

For decades, eggs were an invisible backbone — the protein of the broke, the bulking, the blue-collar. Cheap, consistent, cultural. Rocky drank them raw. Diners built breakfast around them. Then, in January 2025, prices surged , and retailers were charging between , even as the actual production cost hovered around .

Policy Panorama
Policy Panorama

Published in Policy Panorama

Policy Panorama is a place to discuss the laws, systems, and norms that impact our lives and the planet. We welcome thoughtful discussion on policy and policy-adjacent topics at all levels, from the international to the local.

Ricky Lanusse
Ricky Lanusse

Written by Ricky Lanusse

Patagonian skipping stones professional. Antarctic sapiens 🇦🇶 on

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