Fair Value Measurements (Fair Value Measurements At Reporting Date) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets:
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 913us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities	$ 1,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Deferred receivables consideration	614adm_Deferredreceivablesconsideration	511adm_Deferredreceivablesconsideration
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets:
Inventories carried at market	4,185	4,699
Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	178	491
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	863	940
Restricted Investments, at Fair Value	2,385	2,158
Deferred receivables consideration	614	511
Total Assets	9,074	9,696
Liabilities:
Inventory-related payables	476	652
Total Liabilities	1,393	1,578
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Commodity Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	605	690
Derivative Liability	629	776
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	211	186
Derivative Liability	288	150
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Interest Rate Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	33	21
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Quoted Prices In Active Markets For Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Assets:
Inventories carried at market	0	0
Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	178	491
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	779	860
Restricted Investments, at Fair Value	2,385	2,158
Deferred receivables consideration	0	0
Total Assets	3,342	3,509
Liabilities:
Inventory-related payables	0	0
Total Liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Quoted Prices In Active Markets For Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] \| Commodity Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Quoted Prices In Active Markets For Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] \| Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Quoted Prices In Active Markets For Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member] \| Interest Rate Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Assets:
Inventories carried at market	3,146	3,208
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	84	80
Deferred receivables consideration	614	511
Total Assets	4,515	4,493
Liabilities:
Inventory-related payables	456	612
Total Liabilities	1,155	1,326
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Commodity Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	427	487
Derivative Liability	411	564
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	211	186
Derivative Liability	288	150
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Interest Rate Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	33	21
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Assets:
Inventories carried at market	1,039	1,491
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Deferred receivables consideration	0	0
Total Assets	1,217	1,694
Liabilities:
Inventory-related payables	20	40
Total Liabilities	238	252
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] \| Commodity Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	178	203
Derivative Liability	218	212
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] \| Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	0	0
Derivative Liability	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] \| Interest Rate Contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset	$ 0	$ 0

Deferred consideration related to the Company's accounts receivable securitization program.

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Fair value portion of probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

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Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

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Amount of short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

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The aggregate value of all restricted investments.

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