Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation and Investments in Affiliates

Principles of Consolidation and Investments in Affiliates

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Seaboard Corporation and its domestic and foreign subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Investments in non-controlled affiliates where we have significant influence are accounted for by the equity method. Financial information from certain foreign subsidiaries and affiliates is reported on a one- to three-month lag, depending on the specific entity. As Seaboard conducts its agricultural commodity trading business with third parties, consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates on an interrelated basis, cost of sales on affiliates cannot be clearly distinguished without making numerous assumptions, primarily with respect to mark-to-market accounting for commodity derivatives.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include those related to allowance for doubtful accounts, valuation of inventories, impairment of long-lived assets, potential write down related to investments in and advances to affiliates and notes receivable from affiliates, income taxes, lease liabilities and right of use (“ROU”) assets and accrued pension liability. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translation

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translation

Seaboard has operations in several foreign countries, and the currencies of the countries fluctuate in relation to the U.S. dollar. Certain of the major contracts and transactions, however, are denominated in U.S. dollars. In addition, the value of the U.S. dollar fluctuates in relation to the currencies of countries where certain of Seaboard’s foreign subsidiaries and affiliates primarily conduct business. These fluctuations result in exchange gains and losses. The activities of these foreign subsidiaries and affiliates are primarily conducted with U.S. subsidiaries or operate in hyper-inflationary environments. As a result, the financial statements of certain foreign subsidiaries and affiliates are re-measured using the U.S. dollar as the functional currency. Certain CT&M segment consolidated subsidiaries located in Brazil, Canada, Guyana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia use local currency as their functional currency. Also, certain non-controlled, non-consolidated affiliates of the CT&M and Sugar and Alcohol segments use local currency as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars at year-end exchange rates, and income and expenses are translated at average rates. Translation gains and losses are recorded as components of other comprehensive income (loss). For the consolidated subsidiaries and non-consolidated affiliates, U.S. dollar denominated net asset or liability conversions to the local currency are recorded through income.

GAAP requires the use of highly inflationary accounting for countries whose cumulative three-year inflation exceeds 100%. In the second quarter of 2018, the Argentine peso rapidly devalued relative to the U.S. dollar, which along with increased inflation, indicated that the three-year cumulative inflation in that country exceeded 100%. As a result, Seaboard adopted highly inflationary accounting as of July 1, 2018 for Seaboard’s Sugar and Alcohol segment. Under highly inflationary accounting, the Sugar and Alcohol segment’s functional currency became the U.S. dollar, and its income statement and balance sheet are measured in U.S. dollars using both current and historical rates of exchange. The effect of changes in exchange rates on peso-denominated monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in foreign currency gains (losses), net. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, Seaboard recognized $(3) million and $9 million in foreign currency gains (losses) related to the adoption of highly inflationary accounting as a result of its net monetary liability position.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

For purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, management considers all demand deposits, overnight investments and other investments with original maturities less than three months as cash equivalents.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

For the year ended December 31, 2019, cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities was $137 million, all included in net cash from operating activities. Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of finance lease liabilities was $3 million, with principal payments of $2 million included in financing activities and interest of $1 million included in operating activities. Seaboard reports the amortization of ROU assets and the change in operating lease liabilities in other liabilities, exclusive of debt in the consolidated statement of cash flows. Right of use assets obtained in exchange for new and modified operating and finance lease liabilities were $95 million and $46 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2019. Other non-cash activities were related to the non-cash consideration paid in the acquisitions discussed further in Note 2, including incurrence of debt and contingent consideration.

Short-Term Investments

Short-Term Investments

Short-term investments are categorized as trading securities and reported at their estimated fair value with any unrealized gains and losses included in other investment income (loss), net in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Purchases and sales are recorded on a settlement date basis, and gains and losses on investment sales are generally based on the specific identification method. Short-term investments are retained for future use in the business.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and generally do not bear interest. The Power segment, however, collects interest on certain past due accounts, and the Commodity Trading and Milling (“CT&M”) segment provides extended payment terms for certain customers in certain countries due to local market conditions. The allowance for doubtful accounts is Seaboard’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses. For most operating segments, Seaboard uses a specific identification approach to determine, in management’s judgment, the collection value of certain past due accounts based on contractual terms. For the Marine segment, the allowance for doubtful accounts is based on an aging percentage methodology primarily based on historical write-off experience. Seaboard reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts monthly. Management believes its allowance for doubtful accounts is adequate and reduces receivables recorded to their expected net realizable value. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, Seaboard had gross non-affiliate foreign receivables of approximately $309 million and $327 million, respectively, which generally represent more of a collection risk than the domestic receivables, although as of December 31, 2019 no individual material amounts were deemed to have a heightened risk of collectability. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. The activity within the allowance for doubtful accounts was as follows:

	Balance at				Balance at
(Millions of dollars)	beginning of year		Provision(a)	Net deductions(b)	end of year
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:
Year Ended December 31, 2019	$	33	5	(10)	$	28
Year Ended December 31, 2018	$	29	7	(3)	$	33
Year Ended December 31, 2017	$	14	16	(1)	$	29

^(a)During 2019 and 2018, $5 million and $7 million, respectively, of the provision was charged to selling, general and administrative expenses. During 2017, $12 million of the provision was charged to selling, general and administrative expenses, $2 million to income from affiliates related to reserves on convertible notes and $2 million to cost of sales related to a rebate reserve.

^(b)Includes write-offs net of recoveries, foreign currency translation adjustments and other adjustments.

Notes Receivable

Notes Receivable

Seaboard monitors the credit quality of notes receivable, the majority of which are from its affiliates. For notes receivable from affiliates, Seaboard obtains and reviews financial information on a monthly basis and Seaboard representatives serve on their Board of Directors. If it is indicated based on current information and events it is probable that Seaboard will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the notes receivable and an amount can be reasonably estimated, Seaboard reduces the notes receivable to estimated realizable value.

The activity within the allowance for notes receivable was as follows:

	Balance at				Balance at
(Millions of dollars)	beginning of year		Provision	Net deductions	end of year
Allowance for Notes Receivable:
Year Ended December 31, 2019	$	17	—	—	$	17
Year Ended December 31, 2018	$	16	1	—	$	17
Year Ended December 31, 2017	$	16	—	—	$	16

Inventories

Inventories

Seaboard uses the lower of last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) cost or market for determining inventory cost of hogs, fresh pork products and related materials. Grain, flour and feed inventories at foreign milling operations are valued at the lower of weighted average cost and net realizable value. All other inventories are valued at the lower of first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) cost and net realizable value.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost and are being depreciated on the straight-line method over useful lives, ranging from 3 to 30 years. Property, plant and equipment under finance leases are stated at the present value of minimum lease payments and subsequently amortized using the straight-line method over the earlier of the end of its useful life or the end of the lease term. Routine and planned major maintenance, repairs and minor renewals are expensed as incurred, while major renewals and improvements are capitalized. Property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are determined to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Right of Use Assets and Lease Liabilities

Right of Use Assets and Lease Liabilities

ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The present value of lease payments is determined primarily using the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date. Seaboard has elected not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases for all classes of underlying assets. Short-term leases are leases with terms greater than 1 month, but less than 12 months. Also, Seaboard elected to account for lease and nonlease maintenance components as a single lease component for all classes of underlying assets.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill is assessed annually for impairment by each reporting unit at the quarter end closest to the anniversary date of the acquisition, or more frequently if circumstances indicate that impairment is likely. Any one event or a combination of events such as change in the business climate, a negative change in relationships with significant customers and changes to strategic decisions, including decisions to expand made in response to economic or competitive conditions, could require an interim assessment prior to the next required annual assessment.  If qualitative factors indicate more likely than not an impairment is possible, Seaboard performs its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and would recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. Based on the annual assessment conducted by these reporting units, there were no impairment charges recorded for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill were as follows:

		Pork		CT&M
(Millions of dollars)		Segment		Segment		Total
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$	18	$	4	$	22
Acquisition		—		148		148
Foreign currency translation		—		(3)		(3)
Balance as of December 31, 2018		18		149		167
Acquisition		—		1		1
Foreign currency translation		—		(4)		(4)
Balance as of December 31, 2019	$	18	$	146	$	164

Separable intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives and evaluated for impairment similar to property, plant and equipment discussed above. The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization for finite-lived intangible were as follows:

		December 31, 2019						December 31, 2018
		Customer		Trade				Customer		Trade
(Millions of dollars)		relationships		names		Total		relationships		names		Total
Gross carrying amount	$	50	$	28	$	78	$	50	$	28	$	78
Accumulated amortization and currency translation		(13)		(7)		(20)		(6)		(3)		(9)
Net carrying amount	$	37	$	21	$	58	$	44	$	25	$	69

Amortization of intangible assets was $8 million and $6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Using the exchange rates in effect at year-end, estimated amortization of intangible assets as of December 31, 2019 was as follows: $8 million in 2020, $8 million in 2021, $8 million in 2022, $8 million in 2023, $8 million in 2024 and $18 million thereafter.

Accrued Self-Insurance

Accrued Self-Insurance

Seaboard is self-insured for certain levels of workers’ compensation, health care coverage, property damage, vehicle, product recall and general liability. The cost of these self-insurance programs is accrued based upon estimated settlements for known and anticipated claims. Changes in estimates to previously recorded reserves are reflected in current operating results.

Asset Retirement Obligation

Asset Retirement Obligation

Seaboard has recorded long-lived assets and a related liability for the asset retirement obligation costs associated with the closure of the hog lagoons it is legally obligated to close in the future should Seaboard cease operations or plan to close such lagoons voluntarily in accordance with a changed operating plan. Based on detailed assessments and appraisals obtained to estimate the future asset retirement obligation costs, Seaboard recorded the present value of the projected costs in non-current other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets with the retirement asset depreciated over the economic life of the related asset. The following table shows the changes in the asset retirement obligation:

	Years ended December 31,
(Millions of dollars)	2019		2018
Beginning balance	$	23	$	22
Accretion expense		2		1
Ending balance	$	25	$	23

Revenue Recognition

Seaboard recognizes revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to its customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. The majority of Seaboard’s revenue arrangements consist of a single performance obligation as the promise to transfer the individual product or service is not separately identifiable from other promises in the contracts, including shipping and handling and customary storage, and, therefore, not distinct. Seaboard’s transaction prices are mostly fixed, but occasionally include minimal variable consideration for early payment, volume and other similar discounts, which are highly probable based on the history with the respective customers. Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are collected by Seaboard from a customer are excluded from sales.

Revenue Recognition

	Years ended December 31,
(Millions of dollars)	2019		2018
Beginning balance	$	23	$	22
Accretion expense		2		1
Ending balance	$	25	$	23

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Seaboard recognizes all derivatives as either assets or liabilities at their fair values. Accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative depends on its designation and effectiveness. Derivatives qualify for treatment as hedges for accounting purposes when there is a high correlation between the change in fair value of the instrument and the related change in value of the underlying commitment. Additionally, in order to designate a derivative financial instrument as a hedge for accounting purposes, extensive record keeping is required. For derivatives that qualify as hedges for accounting purposes, the change in fair value has no net impact on earnings, to the extent the derivative is considered effective, until the hedged transaction affects earnings. For derivatives that are not designated as hedging instruments for accounting purposes, or for the ineffective portion of a hedging instrument, the change in fair value affects current period net earnings.

Seaboard uses derivative instruments to manage various types of market risks, including primarily commodity futures and option contracts, foreign currency exchange agreements, interest rate exchange agreements and equity future contracts. While management believes each of these instruments are primarily entered into in order to effectively manage various market risks, as of December 31, 2019, none of the derivatives were designated and accounted for as hedges, primarily as a result of the extensive record-keeping requirements. From time to time, Seaboard also enters into speculative derivative transactions not directly related to its raw materials requirements.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences of temporary differences by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of existing assets and liabilities.

Earnings Per Common Share

Earnings Per Common Share

Earnings per common share are based upon the weighted average shares outstanding during the period. Basic and diluted earnings per share are the same for all periods presented.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Adopted

On January 1, 2019, Seaboard adopted guidance which requires the recognition of ROU assets and lease liabilities for most leases. As a result of this adoption, Seaboard recorded operating lease ROU assets of $460 million, adjusted for the deferred rent liability balance as of December 31, 2018, and lease liabilities of $498 million. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the consolidated statement of comprehensive income and the consolidated statement of cash flows. The accounting for finance leases, formerly called capital leases, remained substantially unchanged. Seaboard adopted the new guidance using the effective date method and, therefore, prior period financials were not revised. Seaboard elected the package of practical expedients available upon transition, which permitted Seaboard to not reassess prior conclusions related to contracts containing leases, lease classification and initial direct costs. See Note 6 for additional details on the impact of adopting this new accounting standard.

On January 1, 2018, Seaboard adopted guidance that eliminated cost method accounting and requires measuring equity investments, other than those accounted for using the equity method of accounting, at fair value and recognizing fair value changes in net income if a readily determinable fair value exists. On January 1, 2018, $7 million of accumulated other comprehensive loss was reclassified to retained earnings by means of a cumulative effect adjustment, and all future gains/losses on these equity investments is reflected in other investment income (loss), net.

Seaboard early adopted guidance that permitted companies to reclassify stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Job Act from accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) to retained earnings. Seaboard reclassified $45 million of tax effects from AOCI to retained earnings for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance on the measurement of financial instrument credit losses that requires, among other things, the use of a new current expected credit loss ("CECL") model in order to determine the allowance for doubtful accounts with respect to accounts receivable and notes receivable. The CECL model requires estimation of lifetime expected credit loss based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable supportable forecasts. The new guidance replaces the existing incurred loss model and will be effective for Seaboard on January 1, 2020. Seaboard expects the cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings will be less than $5 million.

In December 2019, the FASB issued guidance which simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles and improves consistent application of GAAP for other areas by clarifying and amending existing guidance. This guidance is effective for Seaboard on January 1, 2021. Seaboard is evaluating the effect of adopting this new accounting guidance but does not expect adoption will have a material impact on its disclosures.