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Derivative Instruments & Hedging Activities
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Instruments & Hedging Activities Derivative Instruments & Hedging Activities
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

The majority of the Company’s derivative instruments have not been designated as hedging instruments. The Company uses exchange-traded futures and exchange-traded and OTC options contracts to manage its net position of merchandisable agricultural product inventories and forward cash purchase and sales contracts to reduce price risk caused by market fluctuations in agricultural commodities and foreign currencies. The Company also uses exchange-traded futures and exchange-traded and OTC options contracts as components of merchandising strategies designed to enhance margins. The results of these strategies can be significantly impacted by factors such as the correlation between the value of exchange-traded commodities futures contracts and the value of the underlying commodities, counterparty contract defaults, and volatility of freight markets. 

Derivatives, including exchange traded contracts and forward commodity purchase or sale contracts, and inventories of certain merchandisable agricultural products, which include amounts acquired under deferred pricing contracts, are stated at fair value or market value. Inventory is not a derivative and therefore fair values of and changes in fair values of inventories are not included in the tables below. 

The following table sets forth the fair value of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions).
 December 31, 2024December 31, 2023
 AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Foreign Currency Contracts$272 $102 $187 $122 
Commodity Contracts828 760 1,343 957 
Total$1,100 $862 $1,530 $1,079 
The following table sets forth the pre-tax gains (losses) on derivatives not designated as hedging instruments that have been included in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions).
Cost of Other expense (income) - net
productsInterest
RevenuessoldExpense
Total
For the Year Ended December 31, 2024
Pre-tax gains (losses) on:
Foreign Currency Contracts$29 $(388)$ $142 
Commodity Contracts 391   
Total gain (loss) recognized in earnings$29 $3 $ $142 $174 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Pre-tax gains (losses) on:
Foreign Currency Contracts$(33)$322 $— $43 
Commodity Contracts— 619 — — 
Debt Conversion Option— — — 
Total gain (loss) recognized in earnings$(33)$941 $$43 $957 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Pre-tax gains (losses) on:
Foreign Currency Contracts$(42)$367 $— $194 
Commodity Contracts— (120)— — 
Debt Conversion Option— — — 
Total gain (loss) recognized in earnings$(42)$247 $$194 $408 

Changes in the market value of inventories of certain merchandisable agricultural commodities, inventory-related payables, forward cash purchase and sales contracts, exchange-traded futures, and exchange-traded and OTC options contracts are recognized in earnings immediately as a component of cost of products sold.

Changes in the fair value of foreign currency-related derivatives are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings as a component of revenues, cost of products sold, and other (income) expense - net depending on the purpose of the contract.

Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments

The Company had certain derivatives designated as cash flow and net investment hedges as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. In addition, the Company had certain derivatives designated as fair value hedges as of December 31, 2024.

Cash Flow Hedges

For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as highly-effective cash flow hedges (i.e., hedging the exposure to variability in expected future cash flow that is attributable to a particular risk), the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of AOCI and as an operating activity in the statement of cash flows and reclassified into earnings in the same line item affected by the hedged transaction and in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness and gains and losses related to discontinued hedges are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings during the relevant period.
For each of the hedge programs described below, the derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges. The changes in the market value of such derivative contracts have historically been, and are expected to continue to be, highly effective at offsetting changes in price movements of the hedged item. Once the hedged item is recognized in earnings, the gains and losses arising from the hedge are reclassified from AOCI to either revenues or cost of products sold, as applicable. 

The Company uses futures or options contracts to hedge the purchase price of anticipated volumes of corn to be purchased and processed in a future month. The objective of this hedging program is to reduce the variability of cash flows associated with the Company’s forecasted purchases of corn. The Company’s corn processing plants normally grind approximately 59 million bushels per month. During the past 12 months, the Company hedged between 12% and 31% of its monthly grind. At December 31, 2024, the Company had designated hedges representing between 9% to 26% of its anticipated monthly grind of corn for the next 12 months.

The Company uses futures and options contracts to hedge the purchase price of anticipated volumes of soybeans to be purchased and processed in a future month for certain of its U.S. soybean crush facilities, subject to certain program limits. The Company also uses futures or options contracts to hedge the sales prices of anticipated soybean meal and soybean oil sales proportionate to the soybean crushing process at these facilities, subject to certain program limits. During the past 12 months, the Company hedged between 76% and 100% of the anticipated monthly soybean crush for soybean purchases and soybean meal and oil sales at the designated facilities. At December 31, 2024, the Company had designated hedges representing between 5% and 100% of the anticipated monthly soybean crush for soybean purchases and soybean meal and oil sales at the designated facilities over the next 12 months.

The Company uses futures and OTC swaps to hedge the purchase price of anticipated volumes of natural gas consumption in a future month for certain of its facilities in North America and Europe, subject to certain program limits. During the past 12 months, the Company hedged between 41% and 74% of the anticipated monthly natural gas consumption at the designated facilities. At December 31, 2024, the Company had designated hedges representing between 35% and 50% of the anticipated monthly natural gas consumption over the next 12 months.

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had after-tax losses of $13 million and after-tax gains of $42 million in AOCI, respectively, related to gains and losses from these programs. The Company expects to recognize $13 million of the 2024 after-tax losses in its Consolidated Statements of Earnings during the next 12 months.

Fair Value Hedges

The Company uses interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges to protect the fair value of fixed-rate debt due to changes in interest rates. The changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps and the underlying fixed-rate debt is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings during the current period. The terms of the interest rate swaps match the terms of the underlying debt. The Company executed fixed-to-floating rate interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional amount of $500 million as of December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had pre-tax gains of $5 million in other current assets related to interest rate swaps and a corresponding offset to the underlying debt for the same amount, with no net impact to earnings.

Net Investment Hedges

The Company uses cross-currency swaps and foreign exchange forwards designated as net investment hedges to protect the Company’s investment in a foreign subsidiary against changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company had USD-fixed to Euro-fixed cross-currency swaps with an aggregate notional amount of $394 million and $805 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and foreign exchange forwards with an aggregate notional amount of $2.1 billion as of each of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Amounts excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness are immaterial for all periods presented.
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had after-tax losses of $99 million and $5 million in AOCI, respectively, related to foreign exchange gains and losses from net investment hedge transactions. The amount is deferred in AOCI until the underlying investment is divested.
The following table sets forth the fair value of derivatives designated as hedging instruments as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions).
 December 31, 2024December 31, 2023
 AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Commodity Contracts$3 $ $16 $— 
Interest Rate Contracts5  — — 
Foreign Currency Contracts 110 — 22 
Total$8 $110 $16 $22 

The following table sets forth the pre-tax gains (losses) on derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments that have been included in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions).
Cost of products sold
For the Year Ended December 31, 2024
Pre-tax gains (losses) on:
Commodity Contracts$(77)
For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Pre-tax gains (losses) on:
Commodity Contracts$322 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Pre-tax gains (losses) on:
Commodity Contracts$351 
The Company has also designated $674 million (€650 million) of its outstanding long-term debt and commercial paper borrowings at each of December 31, 2024 and 2023, as hedges of its net investment in a foreign subsidiary. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had after-tax gains of $251 million and $212 million in AOCI, respectively, related to foreign exchange gains and losses from the net investment hedge transactions. The amount is deferred in AOCI until the underlying investment is divested.