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Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation |
Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation | Note 1 – Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Seaboard Corporation and its domestic and foreign subsidiaries (“Seaboard”). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Seaboard’s investments in non-consolidated affiliates are accounted for by the equity method. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of Seaboard for the year ended December 31, 2016, as filed in its annual report on Form 10-K. Seaboard’s first three quarterly periods include approximately 13 weekly periods ending on the Saturday closest to the end of March, June and September. Seaboard’s year-end is December 31. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for a full year. As Seaboard conducts its commodity trading business with third parties, consolidated subsidiaries and non-consolidated affiliates on an interrelated basis, gross margin on non-consolidated affiliates cannot be clearly distinguished without making numerous assumptions primarily with respect to mark-to-market accounting for commodity derivatives. Use of Estimates The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include those related to allowance for doubtful accounts, valuation of inventories, impairment of long-lived assets, potential write-down related to investments in and advances to affiliates and notes receivable from affiliates, income taxes and accrued pension liability. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance to develop a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. This guidance requires an entity to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods and services. This guidance supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. Seaboard will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2018, for all consolidated subsidiaries using the cumulative effect transition method, where any cumulative effect of initially adopting the guidance is recognized at the date of adoption. Based on management’s current assessment, the majority of Seaboard’s revenue arrangements generally consist of a single performance obligation to transfer promised goods or services. Seaboard believes the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on its financial position or net earnings, although it anticipates expansion of consolidated financial statement disclosures in order to comply with the guidance. In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance that requires entities to measure equity investments, other than those accounted for using the equity method of accounting, at fair value and recognize any changes in fair value in net income if a readily determinable fair value exists. For investments without readily determinable fair values, the cost method of accounting is eliminated. An entity may elect to record these equity investments at cost, less impairment, and plus or minus subsequent adjustments for observable price changes. Seaboard will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2018, and believes the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on its financial position or net earnings. In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that a lessee should record a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a financing lease have not significantly changed from the previous guidance. For operating leases, a lessee is required to: (1) recognize a ROU asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in the balance sheet, (2) recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term on a generally straight-line basis and (3) classify all cash payments within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. Seaboard will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2019, for all consolidated subsidiaries. In transition, lessees are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach, which includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. Seaboard is in the preliminary stages of its assessment of the effect the guidance will have on its existing accounting policies and the consolidated financial statements, but expects there will be an increase in assets and liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets at adoption due to the recording of ROU assets and corresponding lease liabilities, which will likely be material. See Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements included in Seaboard’s annual report for the year ended December 31, 2016, for information about Seaboard’s lease obligations. In March 2017, the FASB issued guidance that will require the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost to be presented in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. Only the service cost component will be eligible for capitalization in inventory. The other components of net periodic benefit cost will be presented outside of operating income and will not be capitalizable. Seaboard will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2018, and believes the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on its financial position or net earnings.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122149 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2197479 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122369 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2134479 + Details
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