Speaking Topics

Agriculture stands at a pivotal moment in history. Drawing from two decades of international experience across five continents, Todd Thurman reveals how three powerful forces are converging to transform the future of food and agriculture:

Global Demographic Shifts: Discover how population shifts are radically reshaping global food demand a

Agriculture stands at a pivotal moment in history. Drawing from two decades of international experience across five continents, Todd Thurman reveals how three powerful forces are converging to transform the future of food and agriculture:

Global Demographic Shifts: Discover how population shifts are radically reshaping global food demand and supply chains—and what this means for your business

AI & Robotics:

 Learn how these emerging technologies will separate tomorrow's agricultural winners from those left behind

Climate Policy: 

Understand how environmental regulations will restructure industry economics and create new opportunities for prepared organizations

This high-impact keynote combines cutting-edge data with riveting first hand stories from the front lines of global agriculture. 

Your audience will gain:

• Clear insights into the forces reshaping agriculture's next decade

• Practical strategies to position their operations ahead of major industry shifts

• Specific opportunities emerging from these transformative changes

• A framework for making confident decisions in an uncertain future

This keynote is ideal for:

• Industry conferences and conventions

• Executive leadership meetings

• Agricultural association gatherings

• Strategic planning events

Format: 60-90 minutes, customized to your audience's specific needs and interests. Includes Q&A session.

What happens when the fundamental drivers of global food demand, population growth, economic development and globalization, reverse course? 

Drawing from extensive international experience and years of demographic analysis and demand modeling, Todd Thurman reveals why agriculture's "normal" is not normal and about to change dramatically.

Th

What happens when the fundamental drivers of global food demand, population growth, economic development and globalization, reverse course? 

Drawing from extensive international experience and years of demographic analysis and demand modeling, Todd Thurman reveals why agriculture's "normal" is not normal and about to change dramatically.

The New Normal:

• Population Growth: Declining fertility rates are driving population growth rates down globally. Many important markets are already in decline and global population decline is on the horizon. 

• Economic Development: Will economic development continue at pace or will the weight of demographic trends reduce growth rates?

• Globalization: Is the recent trend away from globalization temporary or part of a long term trend towards more isolation?

The agricultural industry has built infrastructure, supply chains, and business models around assumptions that are rapidly becoming obsolete. 

The industry is largely unaware of this issue and clings to outdated narratives about feeding the world. 

The faster we recognize the issues and begin an industry dialogue about solutions, the quicker we can begin making the necessary changes. 

In the meantime, organizations that understand and adapt to these demographic shifts first will capture enormous opportunities, while those who wait risk being left behind.

Your Audience Will Discover:

• Which regions will drive future food demand and which are disappearing

• How converging trends in birth rates, longevity, and migration create new market realities

• Specific strategies to refocus operations for emerging demographic patterns

• Critical timelines for making strategic adjustments before costly transitions become inevitable

Perfect for:

• Agricultural Industry Leaders

• Food Company Executives

• Investment Groups

• Policy Makers and Industry Associations

This isn't just another trend talk, it's a data-driven wake-up call. Through compelling visuals and real-world examples, Todd transforms complex demographic data into clear strategic implications for your organization.

Format: 45-70 minutes, customized to your audience's specific interests and challenges and includes a Q&A session. 

In a world of accelerating change, tomorrow's success demands more than just planning, it requires strategic foresight. Leaning on his  training at the world's leading strategic foresight institution and his extensive work with global organizations, Todd Thurman reveals how forward-thinking leaders use this powerful tool to shape their fu

In a world of accelerating change, tomorrow's success demands more than just planning, it requires strategic foresight. Leaning on his  training at the world's leading strategic foresight institution and his extensive work with global organizations, Todd Thurman reveals how forward-thinking leaders use this powerful tool to shape their future rather than react to it.

What Your Organization Will Gain:

• A proven framework for extending your planning horizon 10+ years ahead

• Practical techniques to identify emerging opportunities before competitors

• Methods to build organizational resilience against future disruptions

• Tools to transform uncertainty from a threat into a strategic advantage

Perfect for:

• Business Leaders & Executive Teams

• Government Agencies & Policy Makers

• Industry Associations & Commodity Groups

• Non-Profit Organizations & NGOs

While others get caught in reactive planning, strategic foresight practitioners actively shape their future. 

Learn how leading organizations use scenario planning to:

• Anticipate and navigate complex market shifts with confidence

• Make better-informed strategic investments

• Build adaptable, future-ready teams

• Turn industry disruption into competitive advantage

Beyond Traditional Planning:

This isn't about predicting the future, that's impossible...it's about envisioning multiple plausible futures. By exploring this range of scenarios, the audience will learn how to transform abstract possibilities into actionable strategies.

Format: 45-60 minutes, customized to your organization's specific challenges and opportunities. Includes practical examples and Q&A session.

From stone tools to smart robots, agriculture has experienced three revolutionary transformations throughout history. Now, Todd Thurman reveals how artificial intelligence and robotics is driving a fourth revolution that may prove to be the most transformative yet, and why it's arriving at exactly the right moment.

The Perfect Storm of Opp

From stone tools to smart robots, agriculture has experienced three revolutionary transformations throughout history. Now, Todd Thurman reveals how artificial intelligence and robotics is driving a fourth revolution that may prove to be the most transformative yet, and why it's arriving at exactly the right moment.

The Perfect Storm of Opportunity:

• Critical labor shortages threatening industry growth

• Escalating animal and soil health challenges

• Increasing pressure for sustainable practices

• Emerging AI solutions ready for deployment

Beyond the Hype:

This isn't a technical deep-dive or a fanciful "imagine the possibilities" talk. It's a practical exploration of how AI and robotics will reshape agriculture in years not decades, told through real-world examples and accessible insights. 

Your audience will gain:

• A clear understanding of AI's practical applications in agriculture

• Insight into which technologies are ready now vs. still emerging

• Strategic framework for evaluating and adopting new technologies

• Balanced perspective on opportunities and challenges ahead

Historical Context, Future Impact:

Journey through agriculture's three previous revolutions to understand:

• Why this fourth revolution may be fundamentally different

• How it builds on and accelerates previous innovations

• Which current challenges it's uniquely positioned to solve

• What new capabilities will become possible

Perfect for:

• Agricultural Business Leaders

• Farm Operators and Managers

• Industry Associations

• Investment Groups

• Technology Decision Makers

No Technical Background Required:

Complex concepts are translated into clear, actionable insights accessible to everyone—from tech enthusiasts to traditional farmers.

Format: 45-60 minutes, customized to your audience's specific interests and technology adoption goals. Includes Q&A session.

It takes nearly twice as many bushels of corn to buy an acre of farmland today as it did in 1999. Even more shocking? In modern pork production, the manure is often more valuable to the farmer than the pig. 

In his no-nonsense tough love style, Todd Thurman reveals why agriculture's traditional business model is reaching its breaking point

It takes nearly twice as many bushels of corn to buy an acre of farmland today as it did in 1999. Even more shocking? In modern pork production, the manure is often more valuable to the farmer than the pig. 

In his no-nonsense tough love style, Todd Thurman reveals why agriculture's traditional business model is reaching its breaking point and what we can do about it.

The Three Factors Hobbling Agriculture's Potential

:

• High Capital Requirements

• Low Margins

• High Market Volatility

Agriculture faces a critical crossroads, either we transform our economic model, or risk watching outside capital, and opportunities, flow to other industries. This isn't just about survival; it's about creating an agricultural economy that attracts investment and drives innovation.

Your Audience Will Discover:

• Why what got us here won't get us there

• Why the policy strategies that worked so well in the 20th century are threatened in the 21st.

• Practical strategies for improving returns on agricultural investments

• New business models emerging globally

Perfect for:

• Agricultural Investors and Financial Institutions

• Farm Owners and Operators

• Industry Leaders and Policy Makers

• Agricultural Entrepreneurs and Innovators

Beyond Traditional Thinking:

This isn't just analysis, it's a roadmap to transformation. Through compelling data and real-world examples, Todd presents a clear vision for agriculture's economic evolution and the practical steps to get there.

Format: 45-60 minutes, customized to your audience's specific economic challenges and opportunities. Includes Q&A session.

This keynote is a pork-focused version of the "Feeding Fewer" keynote above. 

The pork industry is a sort of canary in the coalmine with respect to ongoing shifts in global demand. While most other commodities are on a similar path, for a variety of reasons, pork is on the leading edge of many of these changes. 

What happens when the fundam

This keynote is a pork-focused version of the "Feeding Fewer" keynote above. 

The pork industry is a sort of canary in the coalmine with respect to ongoing shifts in global demand. While most other commodities are on a similar path, for a variety of reasons, pork is on the leading edge of many of these changes. 

What happens when the fundamental drivers of global pork demand: population growth, economic development and globalization, reverse course? 

Drawing from more than two decades of practical experience in the global pork industry and years of demographic analysis and demand modeling, Todd Thurman reveals why our "normal" is not normal and about to change dramatically.

The New Normal:

• Declining fertility rates are driving population growth rates down globally and many markets are already in population decline, especially in traditional powerhouse pork consumption countries in East Asia and Europe. 

• In the few areas where population is expected to continue growing rapidly, mostly Africa and parts of the Middle East, a large percentage of that growth will be Muslim.

• Demographic shifts will create headwinds for economic growth which have fueled the rise in pork (and other animal protein) consumption in recent decades

The pork industries in large pork production areas such as Europe, the US, Canada and Brazil are increasingly reliant on exports as productivity continues to improve but domestic demand is flat. 

The industry is largely unaware of these issues and clings to outdated narratives about feeding a rapidly growing world. 

The faster we recognize the issues and begin an industry dialogue about solutions, the quicker we can begin making the necessary changes. 

In the meantime, organizations that understand, prepare for and adapt to these demographic shifts first will capture enormous opportunities, while those who wait risk being left behind.

Your Audience Will Discover:

• Which regions will drive future pork demand and which are disappearing

• How converging trends in birth rates, longevity, and migration are driving demand away from East Asia and Europe and towards Latin America and SE Asia in the short-medium term and Africa in the long term.

• How population Aging is impacting pork demand around the world. 

Perfect for:

• Pork Industry Leaders

• Food Company Executives

• Investors with Exposure to Pork and Animal Protein Markets

• Policy Makers and Industry Associations

This isn't just another trend talk, it's a data-driven wake-up call that tells it like it is and doesn't pull punches.

Format: 45-70 minutes, customized to your audience's specific interests and challenges and includes a Q&A session.