About Us
The American Egg Board’s mission is to support America’s egg farmers and increase demand for eggs and egg products.
History, Mission & Funding
The American Egg Board (AEB) was created by an Act of Congress in 1976 at the request of America’s egg farmers, who desired to pool resources for national category-level egg marketing.
Home to The Incredible Egg and Egg Nutrition Center, AEB is dedicated to increasing demand for all U.S. eggs and egg products. For more than 40 years, America’s egg farmers have supported this mission by funding the AEB. The AEB is 100 percent farmer-funded, and those funds directly support the research, education and promotion necessary to market eggs.
We are honored to serve America’s egg farmers.
Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974Our Impact
Investment in the AEB benefits egg farmers many times over. An independent five-year study of efforts from 2017-2021 (published in January 2023) determined that America’s egg farmers earned a return of $10.11 in industry-wide net revenue for every checkoff dollar invested.
The AEB is committed to maintaining a transparent, collaborative relationship with the farmers it represents. AEB documents are publicly available and AEB meetings are open to the public.
Industry Data
Get the facts and the stats about the U.S. egg industry all in one place.
- 92,657 billion eggs produced in 2022
- 276.6 per capita U.S. egg consumption in 2022
- 40.36 million egg-laying hens in Iowa as of January 2023, the top U.S. egg producing state
- 111.1 million cage-free hens in the U.S. as of January 2023
Egg Nutrition Center
The Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) is the science and nutrition education division of the American Egg Board. ENC is dedicated to providing balanced, accurate information on the complex issues surrounding eggs, nutrition, and health.
Newsroom
American Egg Board’s “Meant to be Broken” Campaign Inspires Consumers to Break Out of the Familiar and Rediscover Eggs
September 23, 2024
New Study Finds a Relationship Between Eating Eggs and a Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s Dementia
August 27, 2024
America’s Egg Farmers Pledge Donation of 1 Million Eggs to Honor U.S. Athletes Breaking Records
August 2, 2024
American Egg Board Names Bill Winkelman Vice President of Industry Affairs & Engagement, Nick Jones Director of International Marketing, Erica Mirth Manager of Content & Design
July 25, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Still Have Questions?
We’d love to hear from you.
- What is the American Egg Board?
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The AEB is the national marketing checkoff program for U.S. egg farmers. It exists only to increase demand for U.S. eggs and egg products through research, education and promotion.
- How was the AEB created?
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The AEB was created in 1976 by an Act of Congress at the request of America’s egg farmers, who then voted by a supermajority to be bound by a commodity checkoff program in order to fund national category-level egg marketing programs.
- Who benefits from the AEB?
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The AEB represents the interests of all U.S. egg farmers. All egg farmers — whether they pay into the AEB or not — benefit from the AEB’s national egg category marketing programs, and smaller egg farms benefit more from the AEB because of their limited marketing resources.
- Who is in charge of the AEB?
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The AEB is governed by a board of 36 egg farmers — 18 members and 18 alternates — appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Appointments are not based on the size of the organization, and larger farms do not have any more or less influence than smaller farms. The AEB’s daily operations are managed by its CEO and staff.
- How is the AEB funded?
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The AEB is 100 percent farmer-funded—there are no tax dollars or government funds involved—and those farmer funds directly support research, education and promotion of U.S. eggs and egg products.
- Is the AEB a good investment of egg farmers’ money?
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Every five years, the AEB is required to fund a return on investment (ROI) study conducted by an independent, third-party economist. The results must by analyzed and approved by the USDA. The most recent study determined that America’s egg farmers earned a return of $10.11 for every marketing dollar paid into the checkoff.
- Can AEB funds be used toward lobbying?
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No. By law, checkoff funds cannot be used to influence government policy or action, including lobbying. The AEB and all other commodity checkoff programs are prohibited from lobbying, fundraising, favoring or disparaging any commodity or product.
- How has the AEB benefited America’s egg farmers?
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The AEB’s national consumer marketing programs have contributed to decades of consecutive year-over-year increases in U.S. egg consumption per capita and growth in sales of shell eggs at retail. The AEB’s Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) has driven peer-reviewed research from top universities that has transformed thinking around eggs in the diet. And the AEB conducts business-to-business market development, annually driving more egg servings in foodservice and in schools and helping to expand U.S. egg exports into new international markets.