Segment Information (Segment Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Information
Revenues	$ 15,800	$ 14,827	$ 48,394	$ 44,758
Earnings Before Income Taxes	632	225	1,748	1,066
Assets	39,664		39,664		$ 39,956	$ 39,963
Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	2,534	2,607	7,782	7,627
Earnings Before Income Taxes	288	300	748	793
Assets	5,846		5,846			6,085
Starches and sweeteners [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	1,706	1,689	5,048	4,893
Bioproducts [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	828	918	2,734	2,734
Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	922	885	2,890	2,673
Earnings Before Income Taxes	67	68	277	239
Assets	7,169		7,169			5,568
Wild Flavors and Specialty Ingredients [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	641	590	1,970	1,825
Animal Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	281	295	920	848
Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	6,410	5,735	18,760	17,013
Earnings Before Income Taxes	349	113	1,042	624
Assets	12,559		12,559			11,992
Crushing and origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	4,439	3,697	12,872	10,917
Refining, packaging, biodiesel, and other [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	1,971	2,038	5,888	6,096
Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	5,850	5,502	18,671	17,152
Earnings Before Income Taxes	129	39	363	143
Assets	8,131		8,131			8,311
Merchandising and handling [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	5,786	5,450	18,489	16,998
Transportation [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	64	52	182	154
Other [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	84	98	291	293
Earnings Before Income Taxes	28	21	72	78
Assets	5,068		5,068			5,658
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	(249)	(260)	(739)	(737)
Assets	891		891			$ 2,349
Aggregate Segment [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	881	485	2,487	1,803
Operating Segments [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	2,909	2,858	8,625	8,346
Operating Segments [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	933	894	2,920	2,698
Operating Segments [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	7,031	6,780	22,148	20,016
Operating Segments [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	7,090	6,671	21,940	20,195
Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	84	98	291	293
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(2,247)	(2,474)	(7,530)	(6,790)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Carbohydrate Solutions [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(375)	(251)	(843)	(719)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Nutrition [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(11)	(9)	(30)	(25)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Oilseeds [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(621)	(1,045)	(3,388)	(3,003)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Origination [Member]
Segment Information
Revenues	(1,240)	(1,169)	(3,269)	(3,043)
Other (Income) Expense - Net [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	21	12	21	20
Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	(1)	(63)	(36)	(98)
Cost of Products Sold [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Information
Earnings Before Income Taxes	$ 0	$ (5)	$ 0	$ 4