Dave Donnan

The “age quake” is coming. By 2030, 34 countries, including the U.S., will have at least 20% of their population older than age 65. While the world’s overall population is increasing to 10 billion people in 2050, the birthrate is slowing in every country leaving a shrinking number of young people available to help the aging population. Add this to the fact that with medical and nutritional advances, people are living longer.

The global demand for food, water and energy is outpacing the increase in population. By 2050, over half the world’s population will face water shortages. And today, 75% of the world’s food is generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species making the global food system highly vulnerable.

In this compelling presentation, Dave Donnan presents the undeniable factors making us ask-can we feed the world? He discusses the role politics, demographics and technology play in addressing this critical issue.

Our geographic cultures once defined what we ate – from French Quarter beignets to Asian-inspired dumplings to Indian tandoori chicken. Today our food choices define our culture as people, especially Gen Z and millennials, are choosing food life styles like keto, pescatarian, gluten-free and vegan. What’s causing this major shift? Our eating and dieting patterns are influenced by mobile technology and artificial intelligence, rising health care costs, peer pressure and social media.

Dave Donnan shows how wellness products like performance nutrition and shelf-stable bars are growing significantly while technology tools like wearable fitness trackers and smartphones are the go-to devices for tracking diet, exercise, ingredients, even mood. The days of buying food on price alone are gone as people seek positive health outcomes with every bite.

What are the forces reshaping mass markets? Now more than ever, consumers are passionate about the food they eat, and their appetites are creating shifts in the marketplace. Viewpoints and products that were once outliers are now mainstream. Food, particularly food with benefits, is seen as key to good health. Free-from segments, fresher food, and greater transparency from food brands and retailers are important to today’s consumer, especially millennials. The days of affluence, advertising and scale are giving way to core principles of trust, influence, and personalization.

Dave Donnan digs into this phenomenon that’s here to stay. Using data from a global study of more than 7000 consumers across seven countries, he explains the shift from affluence to influence arising from unstoppable forces of demographics, changing values, and hyper-connectivity.

As the world population shifts to greater urbanization over the next several years, what we eat and how we eat will change commensurately. Imagine drones dropping a boxed dinner on your 20th floor balcony. Or a rooftop garden that can feed families for weeks. Urban trends we know, like food trucks, mobile phone ordering and bicycle meal deliveries, to those that are just gaining traction, like vertical farming, meal preparation kits and commercial kitchens are here to stay. Or are they? Urbanization brings both opportunities and challenges.

Dave Donnan explores the landscape and presents a fascinating picture of new technologies and innovations in food production, delivery and consumption.

Typically, when we think of convenience foods, we think of a microwaved burrito or single-serving pizza. Today that definition is changing dramatically. Dave Donnan presents a new definition of convenience representing the amalgamation of technology and food preparation. From fresh prepared meals at the grocery store to home delivery via UberEats and Grubhub, the availability of fresh, nutritious meals has never been greater.

Donnan shows the shift in consumer diets and the implications on the entire food distribution system from grocery and convenience stores to restaurants. It’s a fascinating exploration of how we are changing the way we eat our meals at home.