Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement of the results for interim periods have been included.  Results for interim periods should not be considered indicative of results for a full year.  These interim Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto contained in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, collectively referred to as the “2019 Annual Report.”  The interim Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the company and all of its subsidiaries in which a controlling interest is maintained.

Basis of Presentation

On April 1, 2019, EID completed the transfer of the assets and liabilities aligned with EID’s materials science business, including EID’s ethylene and ethylene copolymers business, excluding its ethylene acrylic elastomers business, (“EID ECP”) to separate legal entities (the “Materials Science Entities”) that were ultimately conveyed by DowDuPont to Dow. On May 1, 2019, EID completed the transfer of the assets and liabilities aligned with the EID’s specialty products business to separate legal entities (“EID Specialty Products Entities”), which were then distributed to DowDuPont.

In accordance with GAAP, the financial position and results of operations of EID ECP and the EID Specialty Products Entities are presented as discontinued operations and, as such, have been excluded from continuing operations and segment results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. The cash flows, comprehensive (loss) income, and equity related to EID ECP and the EID Specialty Products Entities have not been segregated and are included in the interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), and Consolidated Statements of Equity, respectively, the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. Amounts related to EID ECP and the EID Specialty Products Entities are consistently included or excluded from the Notes to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements based on the respective financial statement line item. See Note 3 - Divestitures and Other Transactions, for additional information.

Prior to the Corteva Distribution, the combined financial statements were derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of EID as well as the carve-out financial statements of DAS. The DAS carve-out financial statements reflect the historical results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Historical Dow's Agricultural Sciences Business and include allocations of certain expenses for services from Historical Dow, including, but not limited to, general corporate expenses related to finance, legal, information technology, human resources, ethics and compliance, shared services, employee benefits and incentives, insurance, and stock-based compensation. These expenses were allocated on the basis of direct usage when identifiable, with the remainder allocated under the basis of headcount or other measures. Beginning in the second quarter 2019, the financial statements are presented on a consolidated basis.

The company's interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for all periods presented consist of Corteva, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

The company's Consolidated Statements of Operations (the "Consolidated Statements of Operations") for all periods prior to April 30, 2019 consist of the combined results of operations for Historical EID and DAS. The Consolidated Statements of Operations for all periods after May 1, 2019 represent the consolidated balances of the company. Intercompany balances and transactions with Historical EID and DAS have been eliminated.

During the first quarter 2020, the company recorded an increase of $40 million to APIC relating to net assets recorded as transferred as part of the 2019 Internal Reorganizations that were retained. 

Goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles impairment testing

As a result of changes in the company's long-term projections driven largely by the impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic ("COVID 19") on the mid-term forecasted cash flows of the business, including, but not limited to currency fluctuations, expectations of future planted area (as influenced by consumer demand, ethanol markets and government policies and regulations) and relative commodity prices, the company determined a triggering event had occurred during the second quarter of 2020 that required an interim impairment assessment for its seed and crop protection reporting units and its tradename indefinite lived intangible asset.

Based on the impairment analysis performed over the company’s tradename indefinite lived intangible asset it was determined fair value approximates carrying value, and no impairment charge was necessary.  However, this intangible asset is at higher risk to have impairment charges in future periods, if significant assumptions were to deteriorate. Estimates based on the significant assumptions used to determine fair values may differ significantly from actual results and it is reasonably possible that changes to these estimates could occur. Changes in factors, circumstances and assumptions used in assessing potential impairments can have a significant impact on the existence, magnitude and timing of impairments, if any, as well as the time in which such impairments are recognized.