The webinar, hosted by the Independent Grocerers Alliance (IGA) and the American Egg Board (AEB), provided an update on the U.S. egg industry's current state, challenges from avian influenza, and available resources for grocers.
Key topics included the impact of bird flu on supply, ongoing recovery in flock size, government and industry initiatives to stabilize the market, and new shopper-focused campaigns and toolkits to support independent grocers.
Practical resources and educational materials were showcased, including marketing toolkits, consumer-facing signage, and online content, all available for download.
Attendees were encouraged to submit questions via chat, to be addressed in a forthcoming follow-up email along with the webinar recording.
Action Items
All attendees: Submit any webinar-related questions via the chat for follow-up.
Dana (AEB): Ensure the webinar presentation and toolkits are distributed to all registrants.
Dana & Nate (AEB): Respond to submitted questions and coordinate Q&A email follow-up with Jessica.
Jessica (IGA): Send out webinar recording and Q&A to registered attendees.
Egg Industry Update and Outlook
The U.S. egg industry has been significantly impacted by avian influenza, resulting in substantial loss of flock and prolonged supply chain disruptions.
Present flock levels are recovering, with forecasts predicting a return to over 300 million birds by year end, provided no major outbreaks occur in the fall.
Full restoration of production levels is tentatively expected by 2026, contingent on outbreak control.
Egg prices have decreased over 60% from record highs due to increased production, softened consumer demand, and expanded imports.
The repopulation process for affected farms is lengthy (12+ months), exacerbated by supply chain constraints.
Industry Response and Recovery Initiatives
A government-backed five-prong strategy (led by USDA) is in effect, focusing on biosecurity, audits, vaccine research, and advanced analytics.
Over 900 on-farm audits have been conducted to strengthen biosecurity.
The industry supports vaccine development; a recommended vaccine protocol has been submitted to the USDA.
Research funding ($100M) is dedicated to better understanding the virus and potential interventions, including AI-driven risk analysis.
Collaboration among AEB, United Egg Producers, and federal agencies has been critical to response efforts.
Consumer Demand Trends
Retail egg volume experienced strong growth in 2024 before a Q1 dip (down 9%), attributed mainly to supply constraints rather than weakened consumer desire.
Recent data shows the decline in volume is moderating, indicating potential for demand rebound as supply stabilizes.
Eggs remain strongly positioned due to protein-focused consumer trends, particularly at breakfast.
AEB Resources and Shopper Campaigns for Grocers
The AEB has developed a "High Path Support Hub" offering:
FAQs, consumer education, social media content, and downloadable signage for grocers.
New "Eggs Are Healthy" toolkit includes:
Instore signage, communication templates, digital ads, and web content.
Resources highlight eggs' compliance with the new FDA healthy definition.
Additional resources provided:
Handouts on health benefits, backgrounders on FDA standards, and materials to educate consumers about different egg hen housing types.
Collaboration offers for custom in-store signage to address consumer misconceptions.
Decisions
Continue promoting and distributing AEB’s educational and marketing resources to independent grocers — to address ongoing consumer questions and support category growth during recovery.
Pursue collaborative vaccine and biosecurity solutions — seen as essential for long-term supply chain resilience.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
Specific attendee questions submitted via chat remain to be answered; these will be addressed in a follow-up Q&A email to registrants.
Awaiting USDA decisions on vaccine protocols and AI-based research grant proposals.