Segment Information (Segment Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Information
Assets	$ 41,100		$ 39,956	$ 39,963
Revenues	15,526	$ 14,988
Earnings Before Income Taxes	464	458
Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Assets	6,108			6,242
Revenues	2,622	2,510
Earnings Before Income Taxes	213	211
Starches and sweeteners [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	1,638	1,575
Bioproducts [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	984	935
Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Assets	5,644			5,568
Revenues	950	855
Earnings Before Income Taxes	96	77
Wild Flavors and Specialty Ingredients [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	636	574
Animal Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	314	281
Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Assets	13,831			11,835
Revenues	5,633	5,226
Earnings Before Income Taxes	350	313
Crushing and origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	3,610	3,293
Refining, packaging, biodiesel, and other [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	2,023	1,933
Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Assets	7,990			8,311
Revenues	6,215	6,303
Earnings Before Income Taxes	45	47
Merchandising and handling [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	6,160	6,253
Transportation [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	55	50
Other [Member]
Segment Information
Assets	5,311			5,658
Revenues	106	94
Earnings Before Income Taxes	13	30
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Information
Assets	2,216			$ 2,349
Earnings Before Income Taxes	(240)	(218)
Aggregate Segment [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	704	676
Operating Segments [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	2,833	2,869
Operating Segments [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	958	860
Operating Segments [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	6,866	6,082
Operating Segments [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	7,127	7,352
Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	106	94
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(2,364)	(2,269)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(211)	(359)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(8)	(5)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	1,233	856
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	912	1,049
Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	(13)	(9)
Cost of Products Sold [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	$ 0	$ 7