As consumers it’s easy to overlook where our food comes from. Most of the time the grocery store shelves are full, and food prices are reasonable. The recent changes in the price of eggs certainly highlight that putting food on the table isn’t always easy. If you’ve been following the news, you know that bird flu, Avian Influenza, has had a significant impact on the supply of eggs; that has led to increased prices. Flocks of laying hens that are kept by egg farmers across the country have been dramatically impacted by this disease, and it has been nothing short of a tragedy.  

So how did we get here? Certainly, there are animal diseases in circulation around the globe that require our attention and vigilance. This isn’t just a situation that matters to egg farmers. We rely on a complex system that delivers an abundant and affordable food supply all over the globe. Our ability to purchase fruits, vegetables, grains and animal proteins any time of year relies on farmers, ranchers, logistics specialists, retailers and hundreds of steps throughout the process from farm gate to plate. We also have the luxury of having products available based on all manners of consumer preferences, whether that be cage-free, organic, grass-fed, conventional, fortified or all-natural, just to name a few.

The traits that all of these have in common are that it has taken years of painstaking care to ensure that all these processes are safe for humans, are good for the health and humane treatment of our animals and produced in the most efficient way possible to feed a rapidly growing population. 

What we are experiencing now is how arbitrary regulatory restrictions on access to these products can disrupt the resilience of our food system and significantly impact consumers. The passage of Prop 12 in California severely restricted what types of eggs and pork products could be sold in their state based solely on a perceived consumer preference. Arizona followed suit with their own rule requiring cage-free eggs in Arizona. 

Since that time, egg and pork producers have been working hard to adjust and keep these products on the shelves. The timing of Avian Influenza could not have been worse for producers as they already put an arbitrary limit on their egg supply and now there is even less available on the market

Arizona wisely delayed the implementation of their own rule. We applaud Governor Hobbs for making it clear these rules could not be implemented for another seven years. This is a step in the right direction. 

Looking ahead, we would like to see the permanent repeal of these rules. We would also encourage lawmakers to think about how we can continue to protect the resilience of our food supply for the benefit of consumers. That means maintaining access to science-based handling and production practices for our producers and allowing consumers to make their own choices from an abundant supply of food. 

John Boelts is the Arizona Farm Bureau’s president and a farmer of a variety of crops in Yuma.