Food futurist Jack Bobo keynotes Petfood Forum 2027

Food futurist Jack Bobo will deliver the opening keynote at Petfood Forum 2027, held April 26-28 in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., making the case that pet food’s future is headed in a different, and better, direction than human food’s.

In his keynote, “Why the Future Belongs to Pet Food,” Bobo, executive director of the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, will examine how the forces reshaping human food — shifting demographics, the premiumization of protein and a growing gap in consumer trust — will land differently in the pet bowl.

“For decades, pet food has followed the human plate, borrowing its ingredients, its claims and its anxieties,” Bobo said. “But the road ahead is about to fork.”

Bobo will draw on the paradox that people rarely change what they eat to save their own lives to challenge the assumption that consumers will overhaul their diets, or their pets’ diets, to save the planet. Instead, he will argue that premium growth is being driven by demographics rather than consumer mood, and that cheap protein and premium protein are headed toward very different futures.

“Tomorrow’s winners will compete on quality, not quantity,” Bobo said.

He will also explore trust, which he described as the currency that underpins it all.

“Without it, consumers won’t look at your science; with it, they won’t need to,” Bobo said.

What the keynote will cover

• Pet food is on the better curve: Its demand trajectory is about to diverge from human food’s, and pet food stands to come out ahead.
• Sustainability alone won’t change behavior: People rarely change their diets to protect their own health, so expecting them to change what they eat or feed their pets to protect the planet is unrealistic.
• Demographics, not mood, are driving premium: Growth in premium pet food reflects lasting population shifts rather than passing consumer sentiment.
• Quality will outpace quantity: Cheap protein and premium protein are headed toward very different futures, and the market will reward quality.
• Trust comes before science: Without trust, consumers won’t engage with your science; with it, they won’t need to.

“Attendees will leave with a new lens for anticipating what’s next, not just in the aisle but in the decade ahead,” Bobo said.

About Jack Bobo

At the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, Bobo leads research on how narrative shapes public trust, policy and the adoption of new innovations. His career spans more than two decades at the intersection of global food policy and behavioral science, including leadership roles at the U.S. Department of State and The Nature Conservancy, and as CEO of Futurity, a foresight company.

Bobo has advised governments, corporations and civil society organizations in more than 50 countries on how trust is built, lost and rebuilt in contested food systems. He is the author of “Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices,” which examines the hidden psychological and environmental forces that drive food decisions and why better information alone rarely changes behavior. He has delivered more than 1,000 talks worldwide on the future of food.

Registration is now open!

Petfood Forum 2027 marks the event’s 35th anniversary, taking place April 26-28 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.

The lowest registration rates are available through Nov. 30. Register now