Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

    The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CHS and all our subsidiaries and limited liability companies in which we have a controlling interest. The effects of all significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

The notes to our consolidated financial statements refer to our Energy, Ag, Nitrogen Production and Foods reportable segments, as well as our Corporate and Other category, which represents an aggregation of individually immaterial operating segments. The Nitrogen Production reportable segment consists of our investment in CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC ("CF Nitrogen"), and allocated expenses. The Foods reportable segment met quantitative criteria to become a reportable segment during fiscal 2021 and consists of our investment in Ventura Foods, LLC. ("Ventura Foods"), and allocated expenses. See Note 14, Segment Reporting, for more information.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates    The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We base our estimates on assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results could differ from those estimates. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

    Cash equivalents include short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition. The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents approximates the fair value due to the short-term nature of the instruments.

    Restricted cash is included in our Consolidated Balance Sheets within other current assets and primarily relates to customer deposits for futures and option contracts associated with regulated commodities held in separate accounts as required under federal and other regulations. Pursuant to the requirements of the Commodity Exchange Act, such funds must be carried in separate accounts that are designated as segregated customer accounts, as applicable. Restricted cash also includes funds held in escrow pursuant to applicable regulations limiting their usage.

    The following table provides a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash as reported within our Consolidated Balance Sheets that aggregates to the amount presented in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

	August 31,
	2021		2020		2019
	(Dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	413,159	$	140,874	$	211,179
Restricted cash included in other current assets	129,325		76,119		88,496
Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	542,484	$	216,993	$	299,675

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Except for the recent accounting pronouncements described below, other recent accounting pronouncements are not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Adopted

    In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses ("ASC Topic 326"): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The amendments in this ASU introduce a new approach, based on expected losses, to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments. This ASU is intended to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses associated with most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, including trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance sheet credit exposures. Entities are required to apply the provisions of this ASU as a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of capital reserves as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is adopted. As part of our adoption efforts, we performed various data-gathering activities, developed credit loss models, performed data analyses and made accounting policy election determinations. The impact of adoption on September 1, 2020, did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value Measurements

ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, defines fair value as the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.    We determine fair values of derivative instruments and certain other assets, based on the fair value hierarchy established in ASC Topic 820, which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. ASC Topic 820

describes three levels within its hierarchy that may be used to measure fair value, and our assessment of relevant instruments within those levels is as follows:

    Level 1. Values are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. These assets and liabilities may include exchange-traded derivative instruments, rabbi trust investments, deferred compensation investments and available-for-sale investments.

    Level 2. Values are based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. These assets and liabilities include interest rate, foreign exchange and commodity swaps; forward commodity contracts with a fixed price component; and other OTC derivatives whose values are determined with inputs that are based on exchange traded prices, adjusted for location-specific inputs that are primarily observable in the market or can be derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data.

    Level 3. Values are generated from unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are a significant component of the fair value of the assets or liabilities. These unobservable inputs would reflect our own estimates of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing related assets or liabilities. Valuation techniques might include the use of pricing models, discounted cash flow models or similar techniques.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Commodity and foreign currency derivatives. Exchange-traded futures and options contracts are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets and are classified within Level 1. Our forward commodity purchase and sales contracts with fixed-price components, select ocean freight contracts and other OTC derivatives are determined using inputs that are generally based on exchange traded prices and/or recent market bids and offers, including location-specific adjustments, and are classified within Level 2. Location-specific inputs are driven by local market supply and demand and are generally based on broker or dealer quotations or market transactions in either listed or OTC markets. Changes in the fair values of these contracts are recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Operations as a component of cost of goods sold.

    Deferred compensation and other assets. Our deferred compensation investments consist primarily of rabbi trust assets that are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices on active exchanges and classified within Level 1. Changes in the fair values of these other assets are primarily recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Operations as a component of marketing, general and administrative expenses.

    Embedded derivative asset. The embedded derivative asset relates to contingent payments inherent to our investment in CF Nitrogen. The inputs used in the fair value measurement include the probability of future upgrades and downgrades of the CF Industries credit rating based on historical credit rating movements of other public companies and the discount rates applied to potential annual payments based on applicable historical and current yield coupon rates. Based on these observable inputs, our fair value measurement is classified within Level 2. See Note 15, Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities, for additional information.    

    Segregated investments and marketable securities. Our segregated investments and marketable securities are comprised of investments in various government agencies and U.S. Treasury securities, which are valued using quoted market prices and classified within Level 1.

Equity Method Investments

Joint ventures and other investments in which we have significant ownership and influence but not control, are accounted for in our consolidated financial statements using the equity method of accounting. Our significant equity method investments consist of CF Nitrogen, Ventura Foods, Ardent Mills, LLC ("Ardent Mills") and TEMCO, LLC ("TEMCO"), which are summarized below.