Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Significant Accounting Policies

The below reflects significant accounting policies that have been updated since the issuance of the company's Form 10. See Note 1 - "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," within Exhibit 99.2 of Amendment 2 to the Form 10 for more information on the company's other significant accounting policies.

Inventories

As of September 30, 2019, approximately 49 percent and 51 percent of the company's inventories were accounted for under the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") and average cost methods, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, approximately 57 percent and 43 percent of the company's inventories were accounted for under the FIFO and average cost methods, respectively. As of September 30, 2018, approximately 49 percent and 51 percent of the company's inventories were accounted for under the FIFO and average cost methods, respectively. Inventories accounted for under the FIFO method are primarily comprised of products with shorter shelf lives such as seeds. See Note 13 - Inventories, for further information.

Leases

The company determines whether an arrangement is a lease at the inception of the arrangement based on the terms and conditions in the contract. A contract contains a lease if there is an identified asset and the company has the right to control the asset. Operating lease right-of-use ("ROU") assets are included in other assets on the company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Operating lease liabilities are included in accrued and other current liabilities and other noncurrent obligations on the company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance lease assets are included in property, plant and equipment on the company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance lease liabilities are included in short-term borrowings and finance lease obligations and long-term debt on the company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.  

Operating lease ROU assets represent the company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the company’s leases do not provide the lessor's implicit rate, the company uses its incremental borrowing rate at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The company's incremental borrowing rate is based on its estimated rate of interest for a collateralized borrowing over a similar term as the lease payments. The same process is followed for any new leases at their commencement dates or modifications to existing leases that require remeasurement. Lease terms include options to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain those options will be exercised. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are accounted for as a single lease component for all asset classes. In the Consolidated Statements of Operations, lease expense for operating lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. For finance leases, interest expense is recognized on the lease liability and the ROU asset is amortized over the lease term. See Note 16 - Leases, for further information.

Segments

As a result of the Internal Reorganizations and Business Realignments, the company changed its reportable segments to Seed and Crop Protection to reflect the manner in which the company's chief operating decision maker assesses performance and allocates resources.  Effective with the Corteva Distribution, the company also updated its reporting units to align with the level at which discrete financial information is available for review by management.

Prior year's segment information has been revised to conform to the current presentation. See Note 24 - Segment Information, for further information.