A recent trip to the grocery store has got me, and likely every household in America, thinking about the rising cost of eggs. Local businesses that rely on eggs have watched their operating costs rise to unsustainable levels. With the cost of a dozen eggs up over 50% from this time last year, a two-dozen-per-customer limit in stores, and rows of empty shelves, I can’t help but wonder: How did we get here?
Politicians are quick to blame one another for inflation and supply chain issues. In reality, this issue is bigger than any one party or election cycle. The current price shock is the inevitable result of decades of government policies, crafted by both Democratic and Republican administrations, that have prioritized efficiency over sustainability and that have weakened our national food system.
The roots of this crisis date back to policy decisions made after World War II, when the U.S. government repurposed chemical weapons materials into fertilizers and pesticides and sold them to farmers. In conjunction with subsidies favoring certain crops, these policies pushed farmers away from small-scale, diversified operations toward large monocultures like corn. The abundance of cheap corn feed led to the rise of industrial farms, which prioritize mass production over sustainability, public health and both animal and environmental welfare.
As factory farms have grown over the past several decades, our food system has become more fragile and disease-prone. Industrial farms cram genetically similar animals into overcrowded spaces, creating the perfect conditions for disease to spread. When even a single bird tests positive for avian flu, entire flocks are culled. Even more alarming, avian flu has now jumped to humans, raising fears of another pandemic.
It is clear that factory farming is failing consumers and endangering all of us.
Systemic change at the federal level is necessary to reverse decades of bad policy. Consumers, however, have more power than we realize. By making different purchasing choices, we can rebuild a more resilient and sustainable food system.
Consumers can make a real impact by choosing to shop at farm stands, farmers markets and local co-ops, rather than to support factory farmed products. The Capital Region is surrounded by independent, sustainable farms, putting us in a unique position to participate in change. While buying local is often seen as too expensive, consider the hidden costs of a fragile and volatile food system. Small, local farms are not only more sustainable but also more resilient against supply chain disruptions and price shocks.
Small, local farms are not only more sustainable but also more resilient against supply chain disruptions and price shocks.
This egg shortage isn’t just about eggs; it’s about the long-term consequences of policies that prioritize corporate profit over food security and public health. Industrial farming is failing consumers, endangering our health and weakening our national food system.
The way forward is to rebuild resilient local networks of sustainable farms. Rather than handing the power to make change to the very people who instituted and benefit from the status quo, that charge needs to be led by consumers who refuse to support a broken system any longer.
Whitney Smith of Albany is a business owner.
