Segment and Geographic Information (Segment Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 01, 2018
Segment Information
Property, Plant and Equipment, Additions									$ 845	$ 1,100
Revenues	$ 15,947	$ 15,800	$ 17,068	$ 15,526	$ 16,070	$ 14,827	$ 14,943	$ 14,988	64,341	60,828	$ 62,346
Depreciation									812	802	787
Asset abandonments and write-downs									100	101	17
Interest income									162	106	92
Equity in earnings of affiliates									518	456	292
Interest Expense									(364)	(330)	(293)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									(245)	(7)	(534)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest									(5)	(7)	(9)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	315	$ 536	$ 566	$ 393	788	$ 192	$ 276	$ 339	1,810	1,595	1,279
Operating profit									2,060	1,609	1,822
Investments in and advances to affiliates	5,317				5,088				5,317	5,088
Assets	40,833				39,963				40,833	39,963		$ 39,956
Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									25,060	24,124	25,746
Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									24,831	22,388	21,954
Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									10,279	10,406	10,715
Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									3,790	3,523	3,523
Other Segments [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									381
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Information
Operating profit									3,273	2,536	2,704
Operating Segments [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Property, Plant and Equipment, Additions									93	203
Revenues									29,622	28,300	29,812
Depreciation									165	168	169
Asset abandonments and write-downs									25	11	3
Interest income									16	12	21
Equity in earnings of affiliates									10	23	16
Operating profit									546	404	362
Investments in and advances to affiliates	360				359				360	359
Assets	8,461				8,311				8,461	8,311
Operating Segments [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Property, Plant and Equipment, Additions									223	262
Revenues									29,092	26,424	25,235
Depreciation									207	202	194
Asset abandonments and write-downs									15	6	8
Interest income									29	27	27
Equity in earnings of affiliates									411	368	208
Operating profit									1,474	825	853
Investments in and advances to affiliates	4,189				3,961				4,189	3,961
Assets	12,195				11,992				12,195	11,992
Operating Segments [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Property, Plant and Equipment, Additions									267	326
Revenues									11,421	11,314	11,549
Depreciation									328	322	322
Asset abandonments and write-downs									0	63	4
Interest income									1	1	2
Equity in earnings of affiliates									62	78	82
Operating profit									945	1,078	1,001
Investments in and advances to affiliates	375				373				375	373
Assets	5,895				6,085				5,895	6,085
Operating Segments [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Property, Plant and Equipment, Additions									182	234
Revenues									3,835	3,562	3,540
Depreciation									80	75	70
Asset abandonments and write-downs									11	21	0
Interest income									2	2	3
Equity in earnings of affiliates									17	14	16
Operating profit									339	312	273
Investments in and advances to affiliates	63				57				63	57
Assets	7,158				5,568				7,158	5,568
Operating Segments [Member] | Other Segments [Member]
Segment Information
Property, Plant and Equipment, Additions									3	12
Revenues									381	387	408
Depreciation									6	6	5
Interest income									100	57	35
Equity in earnings of affiliates									0	0	10
Operating profit									58	51	134
Assets	5,131				5,658				5,131	5,658
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									(10,010)	(9,159)	(8,198)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									(4,562)	(4,176)	(4,066)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									(4,261)	(4,036)	(3,281)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									(1,142)	(908)	(834)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									(45)	(39)	(17)
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Segment Information
Property, Plant and Equipment, Additions									77	63
Depreciation									26	29	27
Asset abandonments and write-downs									49	0	2
Interest income									14	7	4
Equity in earnings of affiliates									18	(27)	(40)
Operating profit									(1,213)	(927)	(882)
Investments in and advances to affiliates	330				338				330	338
Assets	$ 1,993				$ 2,349				1,993	2,349
Nonoperating Income (Expense) [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Operating profit									13	22	114
Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Operating profit									(102)	(160)	(32)
Cost Of Products Sold [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Operating profit									0	4	(1)
Merchandising and handling [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									24,816	23,915	25,522
Transportation [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									244	209	224
Crushing and origination [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									16,943	14,171	14,034
Refining, packaging, biodiesel, and other [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									7,888	8,217	7,920
Starches and sweeteners [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									6,696	6,565	6,413
Bioproducts [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									3,583	3,841	4,302
Wild and Specialty Ingredients [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									2,571	2,367	2,466
Animal Nutrition [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues									$ 1,219	$ 1,156	$ 1,057