Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was 28.6% compared to 26.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2014 due primarily to changes in the forecast of the geographic mix of pretax earnings. The Company is subject to routine examination by domestic and foreign tax authorities and frequently faces challenges regarding the amount of taxes due. These challenges include positions taken by the Company related to the timing, nature and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. Resolution of the related tax positions, through negotiation with relevant tax authorities or through litigation, may take years to complete. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the timing for resolution of tax positions. In its routine evaluations of the exposure associated with various tax filing positions, the Company recognizes a liability, when necessary, for estimated potential additional tax owed by the Company in accordance with the applicable accounting standard. However, the Company cannot predict or provide assurance as to the ultimate outcome of these ongoing or future examinations. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ADM do Brasil Ltda. (ADM do Brasil), has received three separate tax assessments from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (BFRS) challenging the tax deductibility of commodity hedging losses and related expenses for the tax years 2004, 2006, and 2007. As of March 31, 2015, these assessments, updated for estimated penalties, interest, and variation in currency exchange rates, totaled approximately $415 million. ADM do Brasil’s tax return for 2005 was also audited and no assessment was received. The statutes of limitation for 2005 and 2008 have expired. If the BFRS were to challenge commodity hedging deductions in tax years after 2008, the Company estimates it could receive additional tax assessments of approximately $48 million (based on currency exchange rates as of March 31, 2015). ADM do Brasil enters into commodity hedging transactions that can result in gains, which are included in ADM do Brasil’s calculations of taxable income in Brazil, and losses, which ADM do Brasil deducts from its taxable income in Brazil. The Company has evaluated its tax position regarding these hedging transactions and concluded, based upon advice from Brazilian legal counsel, that it was appropriate to recognize both gains and losses resulting from hedging transactions when determining its Brazilian income tax expense. Therefore, the Company has continued to recognize the tax benefit from hedging losses in its financial statements and has not recorded any tax liability for the amounts assessed by the BFRS. ADM do Brasil filed an administrative appeal for each of the assessments. The appeal panel found in favor of the BFRS on these assessments and ADM do Brasil filed a second level administrative appeal. The second administrative appeal panel continues to conduct customary procedural activities, including ongoing dialogue with the BFRS auditor. The Company is anticipating that this process could take up to six months to complete. If ADM do Brasil continues to be unsuccessful in the administrative appellate process, the Company intends to file appeals in the Brazilian federal courts. While the Company believes its consolidated financial statements properly reflect the tax deductibility of these hedging losses, the ultimate resolution of this matter could result in the future recognition of additional payments of, and expense for, income tax and the associated interest and penalties. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2008. The Company’s subsidiaries in Argentina have received tax assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports totaling $93 million (inclusive of interest and adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates) for the tax years 2004 through 2007. The Argentine tax authorities have been conducting a review of income and other taxes paid by large exporters and processors of cereals and other agricultural commodities resulting in allegations of income tax evasion. While the Company believes that it has complied with all Argentine tax laws, it cannot rule out receiving additional assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for years subsequent to 2007, and estimates that these potential assessments would be approximately $329 million (as of March 31, 2015 and subject to variation in currency exchange rates). The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2007. The Company believes that it has appropriately evaluated the transactions underlying these assessments, and has concluded, based on Argentine tax law, that its tax position would be sustained, and accordingly, has not recorded a tax liability for these assessments. In accordance with the accounting requirements for uncertain tax positions, the Company has concluded that it is more likely than not to prevail on the Brazil and Argentina matters based upon their technical merits. The Company has not recorded an uncertain tax liability for these assessments partly because the taxing jurisdictions’ processes do not provide a mechanism for settling at less than the full amount of the assessment. The Company’s consideration of these tax assessments requires judgments about the application of income tax regulations to specific facts and circumstances. The final outcome of these matters cannot reliably be predicted, may take many years to resolve, and could result in financial impacts of up to the entire amount of these assessments.

Income Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was 28.6% compared to 26.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2014 due primarily to changes in the forecast of the geographic mix of pretax earnings.

The Company is subject to routine examination by domestic and foreign tax authorities and frequently faces challenges regarding the amount of taxes due. These challenges include positions taken by the Company related to the timing, nature and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. Resolution of the related tax positions, through negotiation with relevant tax authorities or through litigation, may take years to complete. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the timing for resolution of tax positions. In its routine evaluations of the exposure associated with various tax filing positions, the Company recognizes a liability, when necessary, for estimated potential additional tax owed by the Company in accordance with the applicable accounting standard. However, the Company cannot predict or provide assurance as to the ultimate outcome of these ongoing or future examinations.

The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ADM do Brasil Ltda. (ADM do Brasil), has received three separate tax assessments from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (BFRS) challenging the tax deductibility of commodity hedging losses and related expenses for the tax years 2004, 2006, and 2007. As of March 31, 2015, these assessments, updated for estimated penalties, interest, and variation in currency exchange rates, totaled approximately $415 million. ADM do Brasil’s tax return for 2005 was also audited and no assessment was received. The statutes of limitation for 2005 and 2008 have expired. If the BFRS were to challenge commodity hedging deductions in tax years after 2008, the Company estimates it could receive additional tax assessments of approximately $48 million (based on currency exchange rates as of March 31, 2015).

ADM do Brasil enters into commodity hedging transactions that can result in gains, which are included in ADM do Brasil’s calculations of taxable income in Brazil, and losses, which ADM do Brasil deducts from its taxable income in Brazil. The Company has evaluated its tax position regarding these hedging transactions and concluded, based upon advice from Brazilian legal counsel, that it was appropriate to recognize both gains and losses resulting from hedging transactions when determining its Brazilian income tax expense. Therefore, the Company has continued to recognize the tax benefit from hedging losses in its financial statements and has not recorded any tax liability for the amounts assessed by the BFRS.

ADM do Brasil filed an administrative appeal for each of the assessments. The appeal panel found in favor of the BFRS on these assessments and ADM do Brasil filed a second level administrative appeal. The second administrative appeal panel continues to conduct customary procedural activities, including ongoing dialogue with the BFRS auditor. The Company is anticipating that this process could take up to six months to complete. If ADM do Brasil continues to be unsuccessful in the administrative appellate process, the Company intends to file appeals in the Brazilian federal courts. While the Company believes its consolidated financial statements properly reflect the tax deductibility of these hedging losses, the ultimate resolution of this matter could result in the future recognition of additional payments of, and expense for, income tax and the associated interest and penalties.

The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2008.

The Company’s subsidiaries in Argentina have received tax assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports totaling $93 million (inclusive of interest and adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates) for the tax years 2004 through 2007. The Argentine tax authorities have been conducting a review of income and other taxes paid by large exporters and processors of cereals and other agricultural commodities resulting in allegations of income tax evasion. While the Company believes that it has complied with all Argentine tax laws, it cannot rule out receiving additional assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for years subsequent to 2007, and estimates that these potential assessments would be approximately $329 million (as of March 31, 2015 and subject to variation in currency exchange rates). The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2007. The Company believes that it has appropriately evaluated the transactions underlying these assessments, and has concluded, based on Argentine tax law, that its tax position would be sustained, and accordingly, has not recorded a tax liability for these assessments.

In accordance with the accounting requirements for uncertain tax positions, the Company has concluded that it is more likely than not to prevail on the Brazil and Argentina matters based upon their technical merits. The Company has not recorded an uncertain tax liability for these assessments partly because the taxing jurisdictions’ processes do not provide a mechanism for settling at less than the full amount of the assessment. The Company’s consideration of these tax assessments requires judgments about the application of income tax regulations to specific facts and circumstances. The final outcome of these matters cannot reliably be predicted, may take many years to resolve, and could result in financial impacts of up to the entire amount of these assessments.