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Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549
FORM 10-K/A
AMENDMENT NO. 1
| ☒ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
OR
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from _________________ to _________________
Commission file number 1-44
ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| DE | 41-0129150 | ||||||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I. R. S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||
| 77 West Wacker Drive, Suite 4600 | |||||||||||
| Chicago, | IL | 60601 | |||||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | ||||||||||
(312) 634-8100
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| Common Stock, no par value | ADM | NYSE | ||||||
| 1.000% Notes due 2025 | NYSE |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒
No ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated Filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1 (b).☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
Common Stock, no par value—$40.3 billion
(Based on the closing sale price of Common Stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange
as of June 30, 2023)
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Common Stock, no par value—509,849,153 shares
(March 8, 2024)
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed on April 10, 2024, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A where indicated.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
This Annual Report on Form 10-K/A contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, are forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “may,” “outlook,” “will,” “should,” “can have,” “likely,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. For example, all statements the Company makes relating to its future results and operations, growth opportunities, pending litigation and investigations, and timing of the remediation of the Company’s material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those that are described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, as may be updated in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by law, Archer-Daniels- Midland Company does not undertake, and expressly disclaims, any duty or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.
Explanatory Note
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (the “Company”) is filing this Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (this “Amendment”) to its Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, which was originally filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 12, 2024 (the “Form 10‑K”).
In filing this Amendment, the Company is restating its previously issued audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 (collectively, the “Affected Periods”) for the correction of certain segment-specific historical financial information as further described below*.*
In addition, the Company intends to file an amendment to its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, originally filed with the SEC on April 30, 2024 and July 30, 2024, respectively (such reports, together with this Amendment, the “Amended Reports”). All material restatement information will be included in the Amended Reports, and the Company does not intend to separately amend other filings that were previously filed with the SEC.
Accordingly, investors and other readers should rely only on the financial information and other disclosures regarding the periods described above in this Amendment and in any other future filings with the SEC (as applicable) and should not rely on any previously issued or filed reports, press releases, corporate presentations or similar communications relating to the Affected Periods.
Background of Correction
Following ongoing dialogue with the staff of the SEC, the Company concluded that it would amend the Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs for the first and second quarters of 2024 (collectively, the “Q1 and Q2 2024 Form 10-Qs”) to restate the segment information disclosure included in those filings. These restatements do not impact ADM’s Consolidated Statements of Earnings, Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), Consolidated Balance Sheets, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows or Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity as of and for the periods presented in the Amended Reports.
As previously disclosed in Note 17. Segment and Geographic Information, to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Form 10-K, the Company identified and corrected certain intersegment sales amounts that either (i) were not in accordance with prior disclosures about presenting such sales at amounts approximating market or (ii) included intrasegment sales (resulting from sales within the segment) and should have included exclusively intersegment sales (resulting from sales from one segment to another). In connection with the error corrections, the Company identified a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting related to its accounting practices and procedures for intersegment sales. The Company put in place a plan to remediate this material weakness, as disclosed in the Form 10-K and Q1 and Q2 2024 Form 10-Qs.
In the course of testing new controls implemented as part of the Company’s material weakness remediation plan in the third quarter of 2024, the Company identified additional misclassified intersegment transactions. These newly identified errors concern additional intersegment sales for each of its Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions and Nutrition segments that included certain intrasegment sales and should have included exclusively intersegment sales. The Company also identified some intersegment transactions between Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions that were not accounted for consistently in accordance with revenue recognition and segment reporting standards and should not have been reported as intersegment sales. The Company also is correcting certain segment disclosure presentation errors in the Amended Reports.
This Amendment reflects corrections for the newly identified errors related to intersegment sales (described below), the previously-corrected errors related to intersegment sales and segment operating profit, and other segment disclosure corrections (See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Amendment for further information).
Restatement of Consolidated Financial Statements
This Amendment includes both audited restated Consolidated Financial Statements and unaudited restated consolidated financial information for the Affected Periods, as applicable. See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Amendment for the restated audited segment information as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. See Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Amendment for the unaudited restated segment information for each of the quarters within the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Items Amended in This Filing
This Amendment amends and restates the following items of the Form 10-K:
-
Safe Harbor Statement
-
Part I - Item 1. Business
-
Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors
-
Part II - Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
-
Part II - Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
-
Part II - Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
-
Part III - Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
-
Part III - Item 11. Executive Compensation
-
Part IV - Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
The exhibit list included in Item 15, “Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules” herein has been amended to contain currently dated certifications from the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (as Principal Executive Officer) and Chief Financial Officer (as Principal Financial Officer), as required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and filed as Exhibits 31.1/31.2 and 32.1/32.2, respectively, as well as an updated Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm filed as Exhibit 23.1.
In accordance with applicable SEC rules, this Form 10-K/A also includes an updated signature page and Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Please note that the only changes to the Form 10-K are those related to the matters described herein and only in the Items listed above. Item 1A “Risk Factors” has been updated for the risk factor previously identified within the "Investigation Risks" related to the material weakness but that Item has not otherwise been updated to reflect developments occurring subsequent to the date of the Form 10-K. Otherwise, this Amendment speaks as of the original filing date of the Form 10-K, and does not modify, amend or update any other item or disclosures in the Form 10-K. As such, this Amendment does not reflect events occurring after the filing of the Form 10-K or modify or update those disclosures affected by subsequent events.
Such subsequent information or events include, among others, the information and events described in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, each of which we are restating currently with this Amendment, and the information and events described in our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed subsequent to the date of the Form 10-K. For a description of such subsequent information and events, please read our reports filed pursuant to the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Form 10-K, which update and supersede certain information contained in the Form 10-K and this Amendment.
Table of Contents
PART I
| Item 1. BUSINESS |
Company Overview
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (the Company or ADM) unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. The Company is an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor; a premier human and animal nutrition provider; a trailblazer in groundbreaking solutions to support healthier living; an industry-leading innovator in replacing petroleum-based products; and a leader in sustainability. ADM’s breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give the Company unparalleled capabilities to meet demand driven by global trends related to food security, health and well-being, and sustainability of the agriculture and food value chains. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, ADM gives customers an advantage in solving the nutritional and sustainability challenges of today and tomorrow.
The Company is one of the world’s leading producers of ingredients for sustainable nutrition. From staple foods, such as flour, oils, and sweeteners, to innovative alternatives like plant-based meat and dairy, ADM offers the industry’s broadest portfolio of food and beverage solutions. The Company is also a leader in animal nutrition. Today, more and more people want to feed their pets with the same kind of clean, simple, and healthy products that they eat themselves, and consumers expect livestock and poultry to be fed and raised naturally, humanely, and sustainably. ADM offers a range of ingredients, flavors, and solutions from nature to meet animal’s needs.
ADM is a global leader in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of probiotics, enzymes, supplements, and more to meet the needs of consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. The Company is also leading the way to a future of new consumer and industrial solutions from nature. With unparalleled expertise and capacity in precision fermentation, ADM is reimagining the world of plastics, lubricants, adhesives, home products, and more.
ADM also has significant investments and joint ventures that aim to expand or enhance the market for its products or offer other benefits including, but not limited to, geographic or product-line expansion.
At ADM, sustainable practices and a focus on environmental responsibility are foundational to the Company’s purpose and culture, and integral to the work the Company does every day to serve customers and create value for shareholders. ADM’s Board of Directors actively oversees the Company’s sustainability strategy through a board-level Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committee (Sustainability Committee), and ADM’s Chief Sustainability Officer is part of the core strategy team and reports to the Senior Vice President and President of Ag Services and Oilseeds.
Utilizing ADM’s unique position in the agricultural value chain, including relationships with farmers around the globe and an unparalleled origination, transportation, and processing network, the Company is enhancing sustainability and leading in decarbonization across the multiple value chains in which it operates. ADM works with growers by supporting them with personalized services and innovative technologies and partnering with them to develop and enhance sustainable practices, including a goal of enrolling four million regenerative agriculture acres by 2025. The Company is actively working to improve the efficiency of its facilities and vehicles, finding alternative uses for waste, reusing and recycling water, and sequestering carbon at its onsite capture and storage facility. These efforts are helping advance ADM’s “Strive 35” commitments to, by 2035, reduce from a 2019 baseline absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25%; reduce from a 2021 baseline absolute Scope 3 emissions by 25%; reduce energy intensity by 15% and increase low-carbon energy usage to 25% of total; reduce water intensity and water withdrawal by 10%; and achieve a 90% landfill diversion rate.
All of this work is propelling ADM’s broadening array of products from nature, which are helping customers meet increasing demand for more sustainable solutions spanning food, feed, fuel, and industrial and consumer products.
The Company is strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. ADM fundamentally values the differences between individuals and believes a variety of perspectives makes for a better company.
The Company’s innovation and expertise are helping people live healthier lives and support a healthier planet. The Company’s globally-integrated footprint combines with local insights to give ADM capabilities few other companies have to meet critical and global needs.
| Item 1. BUSINESS (Continued) |
Segment Descriptions
The Company’s operations are organized, managed, and classified into three reportable business segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition. Each of these segments is organized based upon the nature of products and services offered. The Company’s remaining operations are not reportable business segments, as defined by the applicable accounting standard, and are classified as Other Business. Financial information with respect to the Company’s reportable business segments is set forth in Note 17 of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Item 8 herein, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” (Item 8).
Ag Services and Oilseeds
The Ag Services and Oilseeds segment includes global activities related to the origination, merchandising, transportation, and storage of agricultural raw materials, and the crushing and further processing of oilseeds such as soybeans and soft seeds (cottonseed, sunflower seed, canola, rapeseed, and flaxseed) into vegetable oils and protein meals. Oilseeds products produced and marketed by the segment include ingredients for food, feed, energy, and industrial customers. Crude vegetable oils produced by the segment’s crushing activities are sold “as is” to manufacturers of renewable green diesel and other customers or are further processed by refining, blending, bleaching, and deodorizing into salad oils. Salad oils are sold “as is” or are further processed by hydrogenating and/or interesterifying into margarine, shortening, and other food products. Partially refined oils are used to produce biodiesel and glycols or are sold to other manufacturers for use in chemicals, paints, and other industrial products. Oilseed protein meals are principally sold to third parties to be used as ingredients in commercial livestock and poultry feeds. The Ag Services and Oilseeds segment is also a major supplier of peanuts and peanut-derived ingredients to both the U.S. and export markets. In North America, cotton cellulose pulp is manufactured and sold to the chemical, paper, and other industrial markets. The Ag Services and Oilseeds segment’s grain sourcing, handling, and transportation network (including barge, ocean-going vessel, truck, rail, and container freight services) provides reliable and efficient services to the Company’s customers and agricultural processing operations. The Ag Services and Oilseeds segment also includes agricultural commodity and feed product import, export, and global distribution, and structured trade finance activities. The Company engages in various structured trade finance activities to leverage its global trade flows.
The Company has a 22.5% equity interest in Wilmar International Limited (Wilmar), a Singapore publicly listed company. Wilmar is a leading global agribusiness group headquartered in Asia engaged in the businesses of packaged oils and packaged foods, oil palm cultivation, oilseeds crushing, edible oils refining, sugar milling and refining, specialty fats, oleo chemicals, biodiesel and fertilizers manufacturing, and grains processing.
The Company has a 32.2% equity interest in Pacificor. Pacificor owns and operates grain export elevators in Kalama, Washington and Portland, Oregon.
The Company has a 50.0% equity interest in SoyVen, a joint venture between ADM and Cargill to provide soybean meal and oil for customers in Egypt.
The Company has a 37.5% equity interest in Olenex Sarl (Olenex), a joint venture between ADM and Wilmar that produces and sells a comprehensive portfolio of edible oils and fats to customers around the globe. In addition, Olenex markets refined oils and fats from the Company’s plants in the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and the U.K.
The Company has a 50.0% equity interest in Stratas Foods LLC, a joint venture between ADM and ACH Jupiter, LLC, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods, that procures, packages, and sells edible oils in North America.
The Company has a 50.0% equity interest in Edible Oils Limited, a joint venture between ADM and Princes Limited to procure, package, and sell edible oils in the United Kingdom. The Company also formed a joint venture with Princes Limited in Poland to procure, package, and sell edible oils in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria.
The Company is a supplier of raw materials to Wilmar, Stratas Foods LLC, Edible Oils Limited, SoyVen, and Olenex.
| Item 1. BUSINESS (Continued) |
Carbohydrate Solutions
The Carbohydrate Solutions segment is engaged in corn and wheat wet and dry milling and other activities. The Carbohydrate Solutions segment converts corn and wheat into products and ingredients used in the food and beverage industry including sweeteners, corn and wheat starches, syrup, glucose, wheat flour, and dextrose. Dextrose and starch are used by the Carbohydrate Solutions segment as feedstocks in other downstream processes. By fermentation of dextrose, the Carbohydrate Solutions segment produces alcohol and other food and animal feed ingredients. Ethyl alcohol is produced by the Company for industrial use in products such as hand sanitizers and ethanol for use in gasoline due to its ability to increase octane as an extender and oxygenate. Corn gluten feed and meal, as well as distillers’ grains, are produced for use as animal feed ingredients. Corn germ, a by-product of the wet milling process, is further processed into vegetable oil and protein meal. Other Carbohydrate Solutions products include citric acids, which are used in various food and industrial products. The Carbohydrate Solutions segment is a leader in carbon capture and sequestration. By continuing to advance additional carbon capture and sequestration initiatives and products aimed at replacing coal power and steam generation with lower emissions power, the Carbohydrate Solutions segment is well positioned to benefit from the replacement of essential materials historically made from fossil fuels with plant-based alternatives.
The Company has a 50.0% equity interest in Hungrana Ltd. which operates a corn wet milling plant in Hungary.
The Company has a 50.0% equity interest in Almidones Mexicanos S.A. which operates a corn wet milling plant in Mexico.
The Company has a 50.0% equity interest in Aston Foods and Food Ingredients, a Russian-based sweeteners and starches business.
The Company has a 40.0% equity interest in Red Star Yeast Company, LLC, which produces and sells fresh and dry yeast in the U.S. and Canada.
The Company has a 22.1% equity interest in LSCP, LLLP, which operates an ethanol plant facility in the U.S.
Nutrition
The Nutrition segment serves various end markets including food, beverages, nutritional supplements, and feed premix and additives for livestock, aquaculture, and pet food. The segment engages in the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of a wide array of ingredients and solutions including plant-based proteins, natural flavors, flavor systems, natural colors, emulsifiers, soluble fiber, polyols, hydrocolloids, probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, enzymes, botanical extracts, and other specialty food and feed ingredients. The Nutrition segment includes the activities related to the procurement, processing, and distribution of edible beans. The segment also includes activities related to the processing and distribution of formula feeds and animal health and nutrition products and the manufacture of contract and private label pet treats and foods.
The Company has a 45.3% equity interest in Vimison S.A. de C.V., a leader in the animal nutrition industry in Mexico.
The Company has 50% equity interests in ADM Matsutani LLC and Matsutani Singapore Pte. Ltd., joint ventures for the worldwide sales and marketing of Fibersol.
The Company has a 50% equity interest in ADM Vland Biotech Shandong Co., Ltd., which manufactures and commercializes human probiotics in Greater China. As of December 31, 2023, this joint venture has temporarily ceased operations.
The Company has a 42.8% equity interest in Dusial S.A., a leader in the complete feed industry in Southwest of France.
The Company has a 34.3% equity interest in Vitafort ZRT, a leading company in the Hungarian animal feed market.
Other Business
Other Business includes the Company’s remaining operations as described below.
| Item 1. BUSINESS (Continued) |
ADM Investor Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is a registered futures commission merchant and a clearing member of all principal commodities exchanges in the U.S. ADM Investor Services International Limited, a member of several derivative and commodity exchanges and clearing houses in Europe, ADMIS Singapore Pte. Limited, a clearing member of the Singapore exchange, and ADMIS Hong Kong Limited, are wholly owned subsidiaries of ADM offering brokerage services in Europe and Asia.
Insurance activities include Agrinational Insurance Company (Agrinational) and its subsidiaries. Agrinational, a wholly owned subsidiary of ADM, provides insurance coverage for certain property, casualty, marine, medical, and other miscellaneous risks of the Company. Agrinational also participates in certain third-party reinsurance arrangements.
Corporate
Corporate includes the activities related to cost and equity method investments in early-stage start-up companies within ADM Ventures. In addition to identifying companies to invest in, ADM Ventures also works on select high-potential, new product development projects and alternative business models, all with the objective of supporting the Company’s strategic objectives.
Internal Investigation
Background
As previously disclosed, the Company received a voluntary document request from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") relating to intersegment sales between the Company’s Nutrition reporting segment and the Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions reporting segments. In response, the Company initiated an internal investigation regarding certain accounting practices and procedures with respect to its Nutrition reporting segment, including as related to certain intersegment sales (the Investigation). As previously disclosed on January 21, 2024, the Company placed Vikram Luthar, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, on administrative leave.
Restatement of Previously Issued Consolidated Financial Statements
As described in the Explanatory Note above and in Part II, Item 8, Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company has restated its Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 contained in this Amendment. As a result, the previously reported financial information as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 in this Amendment, has been updated to reflect the relevant restatements. See Part II Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Part II, Item 8, Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Restatement of Previously Filed Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 17. Segment and Geographic Information, and Note 21, Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited), in the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to the restatements, including descriptions of the adjustments and the impacts on the Consolidated Financial Statements.
The transactions that are being adjusted in the restatement occurred between the Company’s reportable segments and do not impact ADM’s Consolidated Statements of Earnings, Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), Consolidated Balance Sheets, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows or Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity as of and for the periods presented in the Amended Reports.
For more information, see Note 17. Segment and Geographic Information to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Amendment, included in Part II, Item 8 herein.
Government Investigations
The Company continues to cooperate with the SEC. Following the Company’s January 21, 2024 announcement of the Investigation, the Company received voluntary document requests from the Department of Justice (the DOJ) focused primarily on the same subject matter, and the DOJ directed grand jury subpoenas to certain current and former Company employees. The Company is cooperating with the DOJ.
| Item 1. BUSINESS (Continued) |
Methods of Distribution
The Company’s products are distributed mainly in bulk from processing plants or storage facilities directly to customers’ facilities. The Company has developed a comprehensive transportation capability to efficiently move both commodities and processed products virtually anywhere in the world. The Company owns or leases trucks, trailers, railroad tank and hopper cars, river barges, towboats, and ocean-going vessels used to transport the Company’s products to its customers.
Concentration of Revenues by Product
The following products accounted for 10% or more of revenues for the following periods:
| % of Revenues | |||||||||||||||||
| Year Ended December 31 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Soybeans | 18% | 17% | 18% | ||||||||||||||
| Soybean Meal | 13% | 12% | 12% | ||||||||||||||
| Corn | 12% | 14% | 14% |
Status of New Products
The Company continues to expand the size and global reach of its business through the development of new products. Acquisitions expand the Company’s ability to unlock the potential of nature and serve customers’ evolving and expanding needs through its offerings of natural flavor and ingredient products. The Company does not expect any individual new product to have a significant impact on the Company’s revenues in 2024.
Source and Availability of Raw Materials
A significant majority of the Company’s raw materials are agricultural commodities. In addition, the Company sources specific fruits, vegetables, and nuts for extracts to make flavors and colors. In any single year, the availability and price of these commodities are subject to factors such as changes in weather conditions, plantings, government programs and policies, competition, changes in global demand, changes in standards of living, and global production of similar and competitive crops. The Company’s raw materials are procured from thousands of growers, grain elevators, and wholesale merchants in North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia, and Australia, pursuant primarily to short-term (less than one year) agreements or on a spot basis. The Company is not dependent upon any particular grower, elevator, or merchant as a source for its raw materials.
Some of the principal crops that ADM sources and processes present specific climate change risks. For example, South American soy and global palm present risks of deforestation due to their proximity to the forest and other high-carbon-value landscapes. In addition, when not managed appropriately, row crops such as corn, soy, wheat, and canola present environmental risks such as water quality impairment, erosion, soil degradation, and GHG emissions. However, these crops also present an opportunity to combat climate change through their ability to sequester carbon in the soil using regenerative agricultural practices. In 2022, ADM launched its “re: generations” program to engage and encourage growers in its supply chain to implement regenerative agriculture practices. In the first year of the program, the Company exceeded its goal to enroll one million acres. In 2023, the Company expanded its regenerative agriculture program to cover two million acres across 18 U.S. states and Canada and also extended the program into new geographies, launching regenerative agriculture projects in Europe and South America, with a goal to enroll four million acres globally by 2025.
| Item 1. BUSINESS (Continued) |
Under the stewardship of ADM’s Board of Directors, the Company has established several key social and environmental policies that collectively outline expectations for its employees, business partners and contractors, and the Company as a whole with respect to its sourcing operations. These policies set the standards that govern the Company’s approach to environmental stewardship, employee conduct, and raw material sourcing, among other areas, and outline ADM’s positions on issues of widespread public interest. These standards are included in, among others, the Company’s Code of Conduct; Environment, Health, and Safety Policy; Human Rights Policy; Commitment to Protect Forests, Biodiversity, and Communities; Statement on Genetically Modified Organisms; Statement on Animal Testing; Commitment to Anti-Corruption Compliance; Protocol for Managing Supplier Non-Compliance and ADM Supplier Expectations, all of which are available on the Company’s website (see Item 1, Business - Available Information).
In addition to policies, a portion of the Company’s commodity sourcing is conducted using third-party certification programs including ADM Responsible Soy, Biomass Biofuel Sustainability Voluntary Scheme, Round Table for Responsible Soy, International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil, and U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol. These programs have standards that are established to provide transparency on specific sustainability-related criteria. ADM procures canola, soybeans, and palm under these programs.
Trademarks, Brands, Recipes, and other Intellectual Property
The Company owns trademarks, brands, recipes, and other intellectual property including patents, with a net book value of $734 million as of December 31, 2023. More than 90% of these intangibles are in the Nutrition segment which is not materially dependent upon any individual trademark, brand, recipe or other intellectual property.
Seasonality, Working Capital Needs, and Significant Customers
Since the Company is widely diversified in global agribusiness markets, there are no material seasonal fluctuations in overall global processing volumes and the sale and distribution of its products and services. There is a degree of seasonality in the growing cycles, procurement, and transportation of the Company’s principal raw materials: oilseeds, corn, wheat, and other grains. The Company has seasonal financing arrangements with farmers in certain countries around the world. Typically, advances on these financing arrangements occur during the planting season and are repaid at harvest.
The prices of agricultural commodities, which may fluctuate significantly and change quickly, directly affect the Company’s working capital requirements. Because the Company has a higher portion of its operations in the northern hemisphere, principally North America and Europe, relative to the southern hemisphere, primarily South America, inventory levels typically peak after the northern hemisphere fall harvest and are generally lower during the northern hemisphere summer months. Working capital requirements have historically trended with inventory levels.
No material part of the Company’s business is dependent upon a single customer or very few customers.
Competition
The Company has significant competition in the markets in which it operates based principally on price, foreign exchange rates, quality, global supply, and alternative products, some of which are made from different raw materials than those utilized by the Company. Given the commodity-based nature of many of its businesses, the Company, on an ongoing basis, focuses on managing unit costs and improving efficiency through technology improvements, productivity enhancements, and regular evaluation of the Company’s asset portfolio. The Company’s Nutrition business is a vertically integrated business that provides ingredients and solutions for human, animal, and pet in a highly competitive environment with a variety of companies offering the same products and services. The industry includes ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers, global fast moving consumer goods companies, and private label brands, as well as smaller companies that specialize in specific niche markets. The Company focuses on staying ahead of the curve in terms of innovation and science-based solutions, building direct-to-consumer sales channels and focusing on consumer needs, expanding into new markets, building strategic partnerships, leveraging data and technology, and building a strong distribution network.
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Research and Development (R&D)
R&D expense, net of reimbursements of government grants, for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $256 million.
The Company is committed to global health and sustainable products, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. ADM**’**s R&D efforts focus on creating science-based products, solutions, and technologies aligned with macro trends in food security, sustainable processes, health, and personalized nutrition. The Company strategically invests in R&D across the entire nutrition value chain by leveraging its access to innovative processes and product optimization. The R&D team is also engaged in BioSolutions initiatives which is a key part of ADM’s commitment to utilize its value chain to reduce its carbon footprint, redesign core products with sustainable alternatives, and explore new markets.
The Company’s internal R&D network, consisting of approximately 1,600 talented employees, is dedicated to transforming aspirations into solutions and brand innovation. The integration of interdisciplinary experts in biology, chemistry, physiology, nutrition, agronomy, and product development provides a competitive edge.
R&D teams are closely connected to customers and the global markets. Targeted product development leverages innovative ingredients and ADM’s existing portfolio across different segments. R&D innovation centers across four continents enable the rapid transformation of ideas into products. An external network of collaborators, including customers, key opinion leaders, start-ups, and academia amplifies the Company’s scientific excellence.
The scope and application of the Company’s technical capabilities reinforce its commitment to global health and sustainable products. High-throughput screening and characterization facilities strengthen ADM’s extensive ingredient database. Formulation platforms enable rapid upscaling or downscaling for cost-effective innovation. Resources dedicated to functional ingredient characterization enhance the Company’s capacity to deliver on the science behind each product.
ADM’s R&D strategy prioritizes fulfilling customer expectations and supporting the Company’s growth. In 2023, ADM introduced over 40 new products aligned with short and medium-term customer needs. The Company’s future strategy aims to deliver world-class solutions more efficiently and sustainably, and to capitalize on ADM’s full potential.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
The Company knows that the health of our natural resources is critical to our future, and that its commitments to sustainable practices will result in a stronger ADM and a better world. ADM is committed to being a force for change in developing innovative, sustainable solutions in agriculture, food and nutrition, industrial and consumer products, energy, and packaging materials while pursuing ways to continually improve the Company’s efforts in both protecting the environment and enhancing environmental sustainability. The United Nations Development Programme created the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) blueprint as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. ADM focuses its efforts toward goals that align with its business objectives and allow the Company to make the greatest contribution towards the achievement of the SDGs, specifically Zero Hunger, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Climate Action, and Life On Land.
Governance
The Sustainability Committee of the Board actively oversees the Company’s objectives, goals, strategies, and activities relating to sustainability and corporate responsibility matters. The Sustainability Committee also oversees the Company’s compliance with sustainability and corporate responsibility laws and regulations, assesses performance relating to industry benchmarks, and assists the Board of Directors in overseeing the Company’s operations as a sustainable organization and responsible corporate citizen in order to enhance shareholder value and protect ADM’s reputation. Both the Company’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President of Global Operations attend committee meetings as management representatives. The Senior Vice President, Chief People and Diversity Officer meets periodically with the Sustainability Committee to discuss ADM’s diversity progress and strategy. The Executive Council of ADM, the Company’s highest strategic and operational body, provides close supervision of the Company’s ESG efforts and in-depth review of sustainability issues. Furthermore, regional sustainability teams, along with the corporate sustainability team, support the Chief Sustainability Officer to drive sustainability efforts in the Company’s facilities and supply chains around the world. ADM’s sustainability efforts are also supported by functional expertise throughout the Company such as in Operations and Utilities, Supply Chain and Procurement, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS).
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Strategy
The Company aims to mitigate climate change and protect biodiversity through renewable product and process innovations, supply chain efforts including a commitment to no-deforestation or native vegetation conversion and regenerative agriculture, and a strategic approach to operational excellence with a focus on enhancing the efficiency of ADM’s production plants throughout its global operations.
ADM believes sustainability is critical to its future growth strategy. ADM’s strategic plan of sustainable growth leverages the trends and technologies in sustainability to help the Company grow and create value for its stakeholders. Ag Services and Oilseeds is focused on traceability of sourcing and differentiation and working with growers on low carbon agricultural practices and products. Carbohydrate Solutions is focused on decarbonization efforts that increasingly position the segment to offer low-carbon intensity feedstocks for biosolutions and biomaterials, including fuel solutions, to replace petroleum-based products. Nutrition is working with suppliers and customers to identify nature positive solutions that can reduce environmental impact in supply chains. The growth of these projects and businesses will be integral to supporting the objective of helping the planet limit total global warming to the 1.5°C threshold indicated by the United Nations. Additionally, beginning in 2022, the Company incorporated the achievement of gender parity and GHG emission goals to executive performance measurement to reflect the strategic importance of ESG to its business.
Moreover, ADM has a large industrial footprint and believes it is important to reduce GHG emissions related to its business activities and the entire agricultural supply chain. The Company continues to use internal and external resources to identify opportunities and take action to reduce its GHG emissions globally to meet its continued commitment to mitigate the effects of climate change.
In 2020, ADM announced its environmental stewardship goals, collectively called “Strive 35” – an ambitious plan to, by 2035, reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 25% from a 2019 baseline, reduce energy intensity by 15%, reduce water intensity by 10%, and achieve a 90% landfill diversion rate. To support the Company’s Strive 35 environmental goals, ADM developed a feasibility study with a leading engineering professional services firm that provides the technology pathway for absolute reduction of GHG by 2035. The Company has also committed to develop a global strategy focused on improving community well-being in priority watersheds, including water-stressed areas, by 2025. In 2023, ADM refined two of its Strive 35 commitments to more meaningfully drive progress: ADM aims to reduce its absolute water withdrawal by 10%, from a 2019 baseline, by 2035, and ADM aims to increase its use of low-carbon energy sources to 25% of total energy used by 2035.
In 2021, ADM announced its Scope 3 GHG reduction goal, focused upon the five most material Scope 3 categories for the Company: purchased goods and services; fuel and energy related emissions; upstream transportation and distribution; waste; and processing of solid products/goods. ADM aims to reduce its absolute Scope 3 emissions by 25% from a 2021 baseline by 2035.
ADM has applied for approval of its Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG reduction goals from the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This approval is pending SBTi’s review and engagement with ADM.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company reduced absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 7.8% and realized no reductions in Scope 3 emissions. The Company reduced absolute water withdrawal by 1.0% and realized no reductions in water intensity. The Company realized no increase in low carbon energy usage and achieved 82.4% of its waste diverted from landfill.
In 2023, the Company published an updated Carbon Reduction Program Assessment, a report of ADM’s carbon reduction progress and exploration to support its aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. The report can be accessed through the Company’s website at http://www.adm.com.
The Company anticipates spending between $360 million and $490 million on capital projects to achieve the Strive 35 targets. ADM has spent $158 million on projects in support of these goals since inception, of which $71 million was spent in 2023, including three projects in Ag Services and Oilseeds designed to fully transition away from coal usage.
The Company believes that protection of natural resources, habitats, and biodiversity are important to life and to the Company’s business. ADM is committed to eliminating deforestation from all of the Company’s supply chains by 2025. In 2023, after a strategic investigation of the impact of conversion of native habitats in its key supply chains, the Company announced its commitment to eliminate conversion of native habitats in high risk areas in South America for direct suppliers of all commodities by 2025 and indirect suppliers by 2027, with a 2025 cutoff date (a date after which conversion of primary native
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vegetation renders a given area or production unit non-compliant) for both direct and indirect suppliers. In 2022, the Company achieved full traceability of its direct and indirect sourcing throughout its soy supply chains in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company spent $69 million specifically to improve equipment, facilities, and programs for pollution control and in light of requirements of various environmental agencies.
There have been no material effects upon the earnings and competitive position of the Company resulting from compliance with applicable laws or regulations enacted or adopted relating to the protection of the environment.
ADM’s corporate social investment program, ADM Cares, aligns the Company’s corporate giving with its business strategies and sustainability objectives. Through the program, ADM works to sustain and strengthen its commitment to communities where ADM colleagues work, live, and operate by directing funding to initiatives and organizations driving meaningful social, economic, and environmental progress. The ADM Cares team evaluates potential projects submitted for funding to ensure they meet eligibility criteria, such as initiatives that support food security, health and well-being, and sustainability around the world.
Scenario Analysis
In line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures, ADM conducted an analysis using three scenarios: 1.5°C (based on IPCC SSP1), 2°C (based on IEA WEO 450 Scenario), and 2.6°C (based on IEA INDC Scenario). The first scenario assumes a rapid transition to a low carbon world in the next decade, limiting temperature increase of 1.5°C. This involves a high degree of transformation across the economy. Under this scenario, the worst anticipated physical impacts of climate change are avoided. The second scenario involves ambitious actions to mitigate climate change, limiting temperature increase of 2°C. This scenario requires greater policy action; however, there is still an increase in physical climate-related impacts. The third scenario is based on the current status quo with no changes to policies or actions and an anticipated increase in global temperature of 2.6°C resulting in increased physical impacts of climate change.
In each of the scenarios, the Company identified potential sourcing shifts and limitations, operational changes, physical impacts, and opportunities. The primary risks identified fall into two categories: physical and transition. Key opportunities are related to product and service offerings.
| Physical Risks | • Increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events such as hurricanes/cyclones and floods could lead to increased direct costs from the disruption of supply chains and impair the Company’s ability to deliver products to customers in a timely manner. • Increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events such as hurricanes/cyclones and floods could lead to increased sourcing costs due to limited availability of agricultural commodities and impact ADM’s ability to produce goods, which would directly affect revenues. | ||||
| Transition Risks | • Emerging regulation and carbon pricing mechanisms could result in increased operational costs and/or tax liabilities in the short to medium term. • Market demand has a direct effect on production, as well as sustainable sourcing initiatives. Changes in consumer demands could result in additional cost of implementation that may not be overcome by product sales. • ADM uses coal-fired cogeneration technology to meet a sizeable portion of its energy demand. The Company is working to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations and making capital investments in its facilities and new technologies. | ||||
| Products and Services Opportunities | • Development and expansion of low-emission goods and services could lead to increased revenues resulting from increased demand. As various renewable fuel standards are implemented around the world, ADM has an opportunity to capitalize on the increased demand through the production and sale of ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel. • As more businesses and consumers look to renewable products, development of new products or services could lead to increased revenues through access to new and emerging markets. |
The Company reviewed the results of the scenario analysis with a cross-functional team of individuals from finance, strategy, sustainability, operations, legal, and risk management. As part of the Company’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) process, the risks identified from the scenario analysis have been reviewed by the ERM team for mitigation actions. The risks are also reviewed by the ERM team on a quarterly basis to ensure they remain relevant.
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Risk Management
See Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for the discussion of climate-related risks.
Metrics and Targets
Metrics and targets are available in ADM’s Corporate Sustainability Report which can be accessed through its website at http://www.adm.com.
References to the Company’s website address in this report are provided as a convenience and are not incorporated by reference. See Available Information on page 17 for more information.
Income Taxes
The Company has a responsibility to oversee that all ADM businesses within the Company follow responsible tax practices. ADM manages its tax affairs based upon the following key principles:
–a commitment to paying tax in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates;
–a commitment to the effective, sustainable, and active management of the Company’s tax affairs; and
–developing and sustaining open and honest relationships with the governments and jurisdictions in which the Company operates regarding the formulation of tax laws.
Human Capital and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
ADM’s purpose of unlocking the power of nature to enrich the quality of life highlights the significant role ADM plays within an essential industry and the critical job each employee has within the Company.
ADM has long maintained its Code of Conduct to help the Company achieve the right results, the right way. The code establishes high standards of honesty and integrity for all ADM colleagues and business partners, and sets forth specific policies to further the Company’s commitment to conducting business fairly and ethically everywhere it operates.
The Company’s culture is grounded in its values of integrity, respect, excellence, resourcefulness, teamwork, and responsibility. ADM is a truly global company of 41,802 employees working together to achieve extraordinary results. Talented colleagues can be found in a wide variety of roles – including front-line workers who enable the production of ADM’s products, supply chain experts who deliver to customers all over the world, engineering teams who continuously improve the Company’s operations, sales and commercial teams who work closely with customers, information technology professionals who implement the technologies to enable the Company’s processes, and so many more. ADM continues to develop its workforce to remain relevant and deliver on the Company’s growth aspirations with a strong focus on sustainability.
The following tables set forth information about the Company’s employees as of December 31, 2023.
Number of Employees by Contract and Region
| Salaried | Hourly | Part-Time/ Seasonal | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| North America | 9,527 | 10,589 | 217 | 20,333 | |||||||||||||||||||
| EMEA | 5,168 | 4,341 | 543 | 10,052 | |||||||||||||||||||
| South America | 2,605 | 4,461 | 794 | 7,860 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Asia Pacific | 1,962 | 1,093 | 30 | 3,085 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Central America/Caribbean | 234 | 233 | 5 | 472 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 19,496 | 20,717 | 1,589 | 41,802 |
Next: Item 1. BUSINESS (Continued)