Agenda

Stay tuned for the 2025 Sosland Purchasing Seminar agenda, coming February 2025.

Sunday*June 8, 2025
Monday*June 9, 2025
Tuesday*June 10, 2025

2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Mermaid Room

Market Fundamentals

Mike Irgang, President and Owner, Global Risk Management Corp.

The Market Fundamentals session covers key concepts necessary for understanding commodity markets as well as basic tools essential for today's procurement manager for effectively managing food ingredient costs.

This workshop was designed to meet the needs of a broad range of industry professionals from the procurement associates new to the food industry to seasoned food industry executives seeking a refresher on today's complex commodity markets.

The first part of the session lays the foundation by covering the basics of commodity futures, how futures relate to ingredient prices and the role of cash premiums and discounts and commodity market structures.

The second part delves more deeply into key commodity market fundamentals, exploring topics including price seasonality, key USDA data, as well as outside market influences.

The session concludes with a practical mini-workshop demonstrating industry best practices for protecting by companies today to protect their financial results from commodity price volatility.

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Union Station

Cocktail Reception

6:30 AM – 8:00 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom A/B/C

Breakfast

8:10 AM – 8:20 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Welcoming Remarks

Josh Sosland, President, Sosland Publishing Company, and Editor, Milling & Baking News

8:20 AM – 8:50 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Tariffs, Changing Global Trade Flows and US Cash Wheat

Bill Lapp, President, Advanced Economic Solutions

8:50 AM – 9:20 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Global Grain Markets and Bakery Flour

Steve Freed, Consultant, Freed Consulting

An overview of global grain market developments will be provided together with the potential ramifications for bakery flour buyers of trade disruptions and challenging crop conditions in the Northern Hemisphere.

9:20 AM – 9:50 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

NAVIGATING MARKET DYNAMICS IN FEED GRAINS AND MILLFEED

Ankush Bhandari, Grain, Oilseed and Biofuel Industry Research, Verition Fund Management

The outlook for corn and millfeed markets, as well as an overview of the livestock sector and bio-fuels demand and policy will be presented. Also to be addressed as part of the presentation will be the evolving tariff situation and its effects on supply and demand dynamics and trade flows.

9:50 AM – 10:20 AM

BREAK

10:20 AM – 11:00 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Edible Oils and Bakery Shortening

Alex Norton, President, Beeson & Associates, Inc.

Vegetable oil and shortening buyers have a myriad of challenges ahead of them in 2025/26. This presentation will address trade relationships that are evolving with a second Trump presidential term. Domestic production outlook and energy pricing and policies continue to play a critical role in the movement for fats markets. Global production and exports of palm oil, soybeans, and other fats will shape sourcing decisions in the months ahead.

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

WORLD WEATHER AND THE IMPACT ON MARKETS

Drew Lerner, President and and Senior Agricultural Meteorologist, World Weather, Inc.

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
City Beautiful Ballroom A/B/C

LUNCH

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Market Panel

Moderator:
Hayden Wands, Vice-President of Procurement, Commodities, Grupo Bimbo

Panelists:
Steve Freed, Consultant, Freed Consulting
Bill Lapp, President, Advanced Economic Solutions
Alex Norton, President, Beeson & Associates, Inc.
Ankita Roy, Managing Director, Revisa Research

Quickfire comments on grains and oilseed from industry experts.

2:30 PM – 3:10 PM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Sugar and Sweeteners

Ron Sterk, Senior Editor, Markets, Milling & Baking News, Food Business News, Sosland Publishing

Domestic sweetener prices declined in early 2025 amid ample supplies and weaker demand, including impact from GLP-1 drugs, resulting in slower 2025-26 sugar sales. Ron Sterk will sort through US and Mexico supply and demand data, global market trends and other factors to help attendees make informed decisions about covering their sweeter needs.

3:10 PM – 3:30 PM

BREAK

3:30 PM – 4:10 PM

Breakout Session I - Choices Below

DAIRY – Neptune Ballroom A/B/C
Sara Dorland, Managing Partner, Ceres Dairy Risk Management

KEYING ON THE CRUCIAL FUNDAMENTALS – Neptune Ballroom E
Erin Nazetta, Director, Food and Ag Research, Broadview Capital Holdings

This session provides a clear roadmap to navigate market volatility in agri-commodity purchasing, delving into proven strategies that harness core drivers—like supply, demand, and macro trends—to unlock smarter, more resilient buying decisions.

SPICES – Neptune D Ballroom
Prakash Jhanwer, Chief Executive Officer of Spices, ofi

Analysis of global spice market and price/availability for domestic buyers.

PROTEINS – Mermaid Room
Adam Stout, Risk Management Consultant, StoneX Financial Inc.

The protein markets have been amongst the most volatile commodities so far in 2025. This session will take a broad overview of the beef, pork, and poultry markets, exploring the current supply and demand dynamics and offering insight into what we can expect for the balance of 2025 and beyond.

4:10 PM – 4:20 PM

BREAK

4:20 PM – 5:00 PM

Breakout Session II - Choices Below

EGGS – Neptune D Ballroom
Brian Moscogiuri, Vice President, Eggs Unlimited

The US has been hit with the worst highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in history over the last three years. The impact of HPAI on the egg supply will be discussed along with analysis of resultant record prices for both shell eggs and egg products.

COCOA – Mermaid Room
Hugo van der Goes, Vice President of Cocoa, Barry Callebaut USA

In the wake of record high prices, perspectives will be offered on the outlook for the cocoa supply picture, with insights into how sustainability is linked to supply and demand.

PACKAGING – Neptune Ballroom E
Lauren Jia, Managing Director, Macquarie Group

Packaging markets across plastics, paper, and aluminum have been caught up in the volatility of trade war headlines. With Canada being a significant producer of packaging feedstocks and Mexico being a large consumer of American materials, markets will face the push and pull of uncertainty. This presentation will focus chiefly on polyethylene, polypropylene, linerboard and aluminum.

MANAGING GRAIN MARKET RISK AMID THE ONSLAUGHT OF HEADLINES – Neptune Ballroom A/B/C
Dan Basse, President, AgResource Company

Unsettled world geopolitics and dynamic weather produce heightened volatility in world grain valuations. Trends and drivers of grain market volatility will be analyzed with discussion of how to best manage the ups and downs in the years ahead.

FRUIT - Muse Room
Steve Nugent, Director of IQF, dried and export sales, Milne Fruit Products Inc.

The status of the frozen fruit markets in the current global climate will be reviewed with updates on the impact of tariffs on both supply and demand.

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
J. Reiger Co. Distillery

Cocktail Reception

6:15 AM- 8:15 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom A/B/C

Breakfast

8:15 AM – 8:55 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Energy

Tim Statts, Vice President of Commodity Services, Schneider Electric Sustainability Business

The outlook for the US natural gas and global crude oil market will be shared with the presenter highlighting the price drivers in each market and prospects for the next 12 months.

8:55 AM – 9:35 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Harnessing AI and Data for Dynamic Supply Chain Resilience

Prerna Dhawan, Chief Product Officer, Beroe Inc.

This session will explore how teams can leverage AI to help drive smarter, faster decisions and strengthen supply chain resilience in the food ingredient sector.

9:35 AM – 10:15 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Serving the Needs of Unscripted Consumers

Sally Lyons Wyatt, Global Executive Vice President & Chief Advisor, Consumer Goods & Foodservice Insights, Circana

Macroeconomic factors provide insight into consumers' ability to buy, but understanding their lifestage, lifestyle, shopping habits, purchasing decisions, and dietary choices is essential to know what they will buy, where and when. This session will provide valuable insights into these "unscripted consumers," ensuring that your portfolio can meet their needs today and in the future.

10:15 AM – 10:35 AM

BREAK

10:35 AM – 11:15 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Transportation

Jim Ritchie, President and Chief Executive Officer, Redstone Logistics

With a focus on the impact of the new administration on supply chains, tips will be offered on navigating, planning and migrating through their policies, priorities, and geopolitical stance. The topics will range from regulations and compliance to trade policies and tariffs, with guidance on how to prepare for potential disruptions.

11:15 AM – 11:55 AM
City Beautiful Ballroom D/E

Economy

Scott Colbert, Executive Vice President, Chief Economist and Director of Fixed Income Management, The Commerce Trust Co.

In a mid-year update on the outlook for the US economy, as well as an overview of the financial markets, the presenter will also focus on the prospective impact of the new administration’s policies on future economic activity with updates on taxation, tariffs, and immigration.