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Employee Benefit Plans
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefit Plans
The Company provides substantially all U.S. employees and employees at certain foreign subsidiaries with retirement benefits including defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans.  The Company provides certain eligible U.S. employees who retire under qualifying conditions with subsidized postretirement health care coverage or Health Care Reimbursement Accounts.

In April 2019, the Company announced an enhanced early retirement program for some eligible employees in the U.S. and Canada. As a result, the Company recognized a pension remeasurement charge of $48 million in the second quarter of 2019. Employees electing to retire early were also given the option to receive their benefit in the form of a lump sum payment which resulted in a pension settlement charge of $51 million during the second half of 2019.

In October 2018, the Company amended the ADM Retirement Plan (the “Plan”) and entered into a binding agreement to purchase a group annuity contract from The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential”), irrevocably transferring the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for approximately 3,800 retirees from the Plan to Prudential. The purchase of the group annuity contract, which was funded directed by the Plan’s assets, was completed on November 2, 2018 and reduced the Company’s pension obligations by approximately $528 million. As a result of the transaction, the Company recognized a non-cash pension settlement charge of approximately $117 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

On July 31, 2017, the Company announced that all participants in the Company’s U.S. salaried pension plan and the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) will begin accruing benefits under the cash balance formula effective January 1, 2022. Benefits for participants who were accruing under the final average pay formula will be frozen as of December 31, 2021, including pay and service through that date.

The Company maintains 401(k) plans covering substantially all U.S. employees.  The Company contributes cash to the plans to match qualifying employee contributions, and also provides a non-matching employer contribution of 1% of pay to eligible participants.  Under an employee stock ownership component of the 401(k) plans, employees may choose to invest in the Company’s stock as part of their own investment elections.  The employer contributions are expensed when paid.  Assets of the Company’s 401(k) plans consist primarily of listed common stocks and pooled funds.  The Company’s 401(k) plans held 7 million shares of Company common stock at December 31, 2020, with a market value of $371 million.  Cash dividends received on shares of Company common stock by these plans during the year ended December 31, 2020 were $11 million.
The following table sets forth the components of retirement plan expense for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018:
 Pension BenefitsPostretirement Benefits
(In millions) Year Ended December 31Year Ended December 31
202020192018202020192018
Retirement plan expense
Defined benefit plans:
Service cost (benefits earned during the period)$61 $58 $66 $1 $2 $2 
Interest cost70 82 93 4 5 5 
Expected return on plan assets(126)(115)(146)— — — 
Settlement charges— 96 117 — 3 — 
Curtailments— — (1)— — — 
Amortization of actuarial loss38 26 55 6 4 3 
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)(19)(19)(19)(13)(15)(15)
Net periodic defined benefit plan expense24 128 165 (2)(1)(5)
Defined contribution plans54 58 50 — — — 
Total retirement plan expense$78 $186 $215 $(2)$(1)$(5)
The following tables set forth changes in the defined benefit obligation and the fair value of defined benefit plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
 Pension BenefitsPostretirement Benefits
December 31
2020		December 31
2019		December 31
2020		December 31
2019
 (In millions)(In millions)
Benefit obligation, beginning$2,650 $2,323 $167 $144 
Service cost61 58 1 2 
Interest cost70 82 4 5 
Actuarial loss (gain)285 363 17 24 
Employee contributions2 2 — — 
Business combinations— 26 — 3 
Settlements(17)35 — 3 
Benefits paid(84)(249)(14)(14)
Plan amendments— (2)— — 
Foreign currency effects47 12 (2)— 
Benefit obligation, ending$3,014 $2,650 $173 $167 
Fair value of plan assets, beginning$2,018 $1,736 $— $— 
Actual return on plan assets317 348 — — 
Employer contributions85 166 14 14 
Employee contributions2 2 — — 
Settlements(18)(10)— — 
Business combinations— 7 — — 
Benefits paid(84)(249)(14)(14)
Foreign currency effects17 18 — — 
Fair value of plan assets, ending$2,337 $2,018 $— $— 
Funded status$(677)$(632)$(173)$(167)
Prepaid benefit cost$29 $38 $— $— 
Accrued benefit liability – current(19)(18)(16)(16)
Accrued benefit liability – long-term(687)(652)(157)(151)
Net amount recognized in the balance sheet$(677)$(632)$(173)$(167)
 
The actuarial loss in the pension plans in 2020 and 2019 is primarily due to declines in the global bond yield.

Included in AOCI for pension benefits at December 31, 2020, are the following amounts that have not yet been recognized in net periodic pension cost: unrecognized prior service credit of $113 million and unrecognized actuarial loss of $639 million.

Included in AOCI for postretirement benefits at December 31, 2020, are the following amounts that have not yet been recognized in net periodic postretirement benefit cost: unrecognized prior service credit of $2 million and unrecognized actuarial loss of $57 million.  
The following table sets forth the principal assumptions used in developing net periodic benefit cost:
 Pension BenefitsPostretirement Benefits
December 31
2020		December 31
2019		December 31
2020		December 31
2019
Discount rate2.9%3.9%3.2%4.3%
Expected return on plan assets6.6%6.5%N/AN/A
Rate of compensation increase4.9%4.9%N/AN/A
Interest crediting rate2.2%3.3%N/AN/A

The following table sets forth the principal assumptions used in developing the year-end actuarial present value of the projected benefit obligations:

 Pension BenefitsPostretirement Benefits
December 31
2020		December 31
2019		December 31
2020		December 31
2019
Discount rate2.3 %2.9 %2.3%3.2%
Rate of compensation increase4.8 %4.9 %N/AN/A
Interest crediting rate2.0 %2.2 %N/AN/A

The projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation, and fair value of plan assets for the pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets were $2.6 billion, $2.5 billion, and $1.9 billion, respectively as of December 31, 2020, and $2.3 billion, $2.2 billion, and $1.6 billion, respectively, as of December 31, 2019.  The projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation, and fair value of plan assets for the pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets were $2.6 billion, $2.5 billion, and $1.9 billion, respectively, as of December 31, 2020 and $2.2 billion, $2.1 billion, and $1.5 billion, respectively, as of December 31, 2019.  The accumulated benefit obligation for all pension plans as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, was $2.9 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively.

For postretirement benefit measurement purposes, a 6.1% annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits was assumed for the year ended December 31, 2020.  The rate was assumed to decrease gradually to 4.5% by 2029 and remain at that level thereafter.

Plan Assets

The Company’s employee benefit plan assets are principally comprised of the following types of investments:

Common stock:
Equity securities are valued based on quoted exchange prices and are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.

Mutual funds:
Mutual funds are valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which they are traded and are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.

Common collective trust (CCT) funds:
The fair values of the CCTs are valued using net asset value (NAV). The investments in CCTs are comprised of international equity and short-term investments. The investments are valued at NAV provided by administrators of the funds.

Corporate debt instruments:
Corporate debt instruments are valued using third-party pricing services and are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy.
U.S.  Treasury instruments:
U.S. Treasury instruments are valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which they are traded and are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.

U.S. government agency, state, and local government bonds:
U.S. government agency obligations and state and municipal debt securities are valued using third-party pricing services and are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy.  

The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Company believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants’ methods, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.

The following tables set forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the fair value of plan assets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
 Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2020
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)		Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)		Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)		Total
 (In millions)
Common stock$251 $— $— $251 
Mutual funds666 — — 666 
Corporate bonds— 328 — 328 
U.S. Treasury instruments
345 — — 345 
U.S. government agency, state and local government bonds
— 4 — 4 
Other— 9 — 9 
Total assets$1,262 $341 $— $1,603 
Common collective trust funds at NAV
U.S. equity418 
International equity316 
Total assets at fair value$2,337 
 Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2019
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)		Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)		Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)		Total
 (In millions)
Common stock$187 $— $— $187 
Mutual funds575 — — 575 
Corporate bonds— 249 — 249 
U.S. Treasury instruments322 — — 322 
U.S. government agency, state and local government bonds
— 4 — 4 
Other— 9 — 9 
Total assets$1,084 $262 $— $1,346 
Common collective trust funds at NAV
U.S. equity391 
International equity281 
Total assets at fair value$2,018 

Level 3 Gains and Losses:
There are no Plan assets classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy; therefore there are no gains or losses associated with Level 3 assets.

The following table sets forth the actual asset allocation for the Company’s global pension plan assets as of the measurement date:
 
December 31 2020(1)(2)
December 31
2019(2)
Equity securities54%53%
Debt securities35%36%
Other11%11%
Total100%100%

(1)The Company’s U.S. pension plans contain approximately 75% of the Company’s global pension plan assets.  The actual asset allocation for the Company’s U.S. pension plans as of the measurement date consists of 60% equity securities and 40% debt.  The target asset allocation for the Company’s U.S. pension plans is approximately the same as the actual asset allocation. The actual asset allocation for the Company’s foreign pension plans as of the measurement date consists of 36% equity securities, 20% debt securities, and 44% in other investments.  The target asset allocation for the Company’s foreign pension plans is approximately the same as the actual asset allocation.

(2)The Company’s pension plans did not directly hold any shares of Company common stock as of the December 31, 2020 and 2019 measurement dates. 
Investment objectives for the Company’s plan assets are to:

•Optimize the long-term return on plan assets at an acceptable level of risk.
•Maintain a broad diversification across asset classes and among investment managers.
•Maintain careful control of the risk level within each asset class.

Asset allocation targets promote optimal expected return and volatility characteristics given the long-term time horizon for fulfilling the obligations of the pension plans.  Selection of the targeted asset allocation for plan assets was based upon a review of the expected return and risk characteristics of each asset class, as well as the correlation of returns among asset classes.  The U.S. pension plans target asset allocation is also based on an asset and liability study that is updated periodically.

Investment guidelines are established with each investment manager.  These guidelines provide the parameters within which the investment managers agree to operate, including criteria that determine eligible and ineligible securities, diversification requirements, and credit quality standards, where applicable.  In some countries, derivatives may be used to gain market exposure in an efficient and timely manner; however, derivatives may not be used to leverage the portfolio beyond the market value of underlying investments.

The Company uses external consultants to assist in monitoring the investment strategy and asset mix for the Company’s plan assets.  To develop the Company’s expected long-term rate of return assumption on plan assets, the Company generally uses long-term historical return information for the targeted asset mix identified in asset and liability studies.  Adjustments are made to the expected long-term rate of return assumption when deemed necessary based upon revised expectations of future investment performance of the overall investment markets.

Contributions and Expected Future Benefit Payments

Based on actuarial calculations, the Company expects to contribute $29 million to the pension plans and $16 million to the postretirement benefit plan during 2021.  The Company may elect to make additional discretionary contributions during this period.

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, are expected to be paid by the benefit plans:
 
Pension
Benefits		Postretirement
Benefits
 (In millions)
2021$84 $16 
202290 15 
202396 14 
2024101 14 
2025108 13 
2026-2030620 50