Asset Impairment, Exit, and Restructuring Costs (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Relocation and restructuring costs		$ 71	[1]	$ 64	[1]	$ 0
Restructuring, Settlement and Impairment Provisions		200		105		259
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net		0		6	[2]	166	[2]
Goodwill, Impairment Loss		13	[3]			9
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment		21	[3]	0		9	[3]
Other Asset Impairment Charges	[4]	108		35		84
Corporate [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net						11
Impairment of Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)		8
Other Asset Impairment Charges		1				15
Agricultural Services [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net						155
Other Asset Impairment Charges				17		3
Corn Processing [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges		66		15		62
Oilseeds Processing
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges		40		3		$ 4
Wild and Specialty Ingredients [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges		1
Pension plan settlement [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Relocation and restructuring costs	[1]	29
Facility closing [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Relocation and restructuring costs	[1]	22
Employee Relocation [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Relocation and restructuring costs				16
Other Restructuring [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges And Exit Costs [Line Items]
Relocation and restructuring costs		$ 20	[1]	$ 48

[1] Restructuring and exit costs recognized in the year ended December 31, 2015 consisted primarily of restructuring charges of $29 million related principally to an international pension plan settlement, exit costs of $22 million related to Brazilian sugar ethanol facilities in the Corn Processing segment and other restructuring and exit costs totaling $20 million. Restructuring and exit costs recognized in the year ended December 31, 2014 consisted of costs associated with the relocation of the Company’s global headquarters to Chicago, Illinois, of $16 million and restructuring charges related to the Wild Flavors acquisition and Toepfer integration following the acquisition of the minority interest and other restructuring charges of $48 million.

[2] Asset impairment charge - equity securities for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 consisted of other-than-temporary investment writedowns of available for sale securities in Corporate. Asset impairment charge - equity securities for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 consisted of other-than-temporary impairment charges of $155 million on the Company’s GrainCorp investment in the Agricultural Services segment and $11 million on one other available for sale security in Corporate.

[3] The Company recognized an intangible asset impairment charge of $8 million related to capitalized software costs in Corporate in the year ended December 31, 2015. The Company recognized goodwill impairment charges of $13 million related to a Corn Processing facility and certain of its international Oilseeds Processing facilities, and $9 million related to its Brazilian sugar ethanol business in the Corn Processing segment in the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2013, respectively.

[4] Asset impairment for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 consisted of property, plant, and equipment asset impairments of $66 million related principally to the Brazilian sugar ethanol business in the Corn Processing segment based on the uncertain outlook of this business at year-end, $40 million in the Oilseeds Processing segment, $1 million in the Wild Flavors and Specialty Ingredients segment, and $1 million in Corporate. Asset impairments for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 consisted of property, plant, and equipment asset impairments of $17 million in the Agricultural Services segment, $15 million in the Corn Processing segment, and $3 million in the Oilseeds Processing segment. Asset impairments for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 consisted of property, plant, and equipment asset impairments of $3 million in the Agricultural Services segment, $62 million in the Corn Processing segment, $4 million in the Oilseeds Processing segment, and $15 million in Corporate.