end of the month roundup: January 2025

this month certainly spared no punches and if you think egg prices are soaring (thanks bird flu), wait until you see how some new policy proposals may impact the cost of your groceries

The Impact of Bird Flu

Where are all the eggs?

Bird flu (aka avian influenza) has been spiking rapidly in the United States not only in birds, but dozens of other animals. The CDC reported the first human bird flu death in Louisiana at the beginning of the month. While this is currently a low public health risk for humans (it is not spread through human-to-human contact, per the CDC), it has had massive, devastating impacts for poultry farms in the United States. With many chicken farms experiencing outbreaks, farmers are often faced with culling much of their flock to prevent the spread. This means that the supply of eggs (and even chicken) is severely reduced, leading to soaring prices. And thus, when you go to your local grocery store to look for eggs, it may look something like this:

Empty Egg Shelves at a Whole Foods in Manhattan (January 28th, 2025)

What are other options?

If you are lucky enough to live near a local farm that produces small scale eggs, now is a great time to start supporting them if you have not already. One of my biggest lessons during COVID was that solely relying on large scale agriculture is prone to severe disruptions and supporting local farms is one way not only to get around that, but to invest in your community. If you’re city-bound like me in NYC, now may be a good time to have fun with egg substitutes such as Just Egg, plant based egg (paid link).

Disclaimer: I may earn a small commission for purchases made through a paid link.

Why Your Grocery Bill May Continue to Increase

Import Tariffs on Mexican & Canadian Goods

Currently, the United States has a free trade agreement with both Mexico and Canada (called the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement or USMCA). That, however, may be a thing of the past as early as February 1 this year. Instead, the Trump administration proposed a 25% tax on Mexican and Canadian products coming into the United States. Why is this such a big deal? Mexico is the United States’ largest agricultural trading partner in terms of combined exports and imports, with Canada being a close second, according to USDA data. Vegetables, fruit, beverages, and distilled spirits (e.g., tequila) make up over 72% of American agricultural imports from Mexico.