What does ADM do?
What happened in 1995?
What have you done since 1995 to prevent a recurrence?
What if someone at the Company were to observe some kind of misconduct today?
How does the Company feel about “The Informant!” movie?
How else is ADM different today?
What does ADM do?Perhaps the easiest way to characterize what ADM does is: We connect the harvest to the home. We buy farmers’ crops — including corn, oilseeds, wheat and cocoa — and store, trade, transport, process and transform them into hundreds of products that meet vital needs for food and energy. For a closer look at the how we create thousands of products, please visit our
diversified value stream page.
What happened in 1995?
Three former ADM executives were convicted of conspiring to fix the price of lysine, an animal-feed ingredient produced by the Company. During the investigations that led to the convictions, it was discovered that one of the executives had also embezzled millions of dollars from ADM. All three men went to prison, and our Company paid substantial sums in fines and restitution.
What have you done since 1995 to prevent a recurrence?
We put in place necessary processes and controls. Today, all ADM colleagues receive training in The ADM Way, our business code of conduct and ethics. Colleagues with responsibilities for pricing, sales and marketing are regularly trained on antitrust laws and are provided written guidance on compliance with such laws. We also regularly audit business transactions and processes.
To safeguard against embezzlement, our Company has significantly strengthened its internal control systems, and we believe these changes offer ADM and our shareholders the protection necessary to prevent a recurrence of the type of fraud that occurred in the 1990s.
Throughout ADM, we are committed to achieving the right results, the right way. It’s a cornerstone of our culture, and a daily focus for us all.
What if someone at the Company were to observe some kind of misconduct today?
There are three separate ways for colleagues to report an issue of concern: They can use the ADM Way ethics helpline. This service, which is staffed by an outside firm, provides the option of anonymity and is available around the clock, around the globe, 365 days a year. They can also contact our Office of Compliance and Ethics. And, they can report issues directly to their supervisors without any fear of retaliation. Supervisors are taught to handle such incidents with seriousness and sensitivity.
How does the Company feel about “The Informant!” movie?
When we learned that Steven Soderbergh would be making the film, we met with him and his team. We gave them tours of our facilities and allowed them to do some filming on our property. We understand that “The Informant!” is a movie, and while it isn’t pleasant to see ADM associated with past illegal activity — however much the events and people depicted may reflect only a very narrow part of the past — we are confident that our customers, colleagues and communities understand that ADM, then and today, is made up of ethical, hardworking people.
How else is ADM different today?
Today, ADM is 29,000 colleagues working in 60 countries to serve vital needs for food and energy. We have new leadership and an independent board of directors. As always, we are committed to achieving the right results, the right way.
