BG, §1A diff (2018 → 2019)

Item 1A. Risk Factors Risk Factors Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of the risks and uncertainties described below. Additional risks not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, may also impair our financial condition and business operations. See "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements." Risks Relating to Our Business and Industries Adverse weather conditions, including as a result of climate change, may adversely affect the availability, quality and price of agricultural commodities and agricultural commodity products, as well as our operations and operating results. Adverse weather conditions have historically caused volatility in the agricultural commodity industry and consequently in our operating results by causing crop failures or significantly reduced harvests, which may affect the supply and pricing of the agricultural commodities that we sell and use in our business, reduce demand for our fertilizer products and negatively affect the creditworthiness of agricultural producers who do business with us. Severe adverse weather conditions, such as hurricanes or severe storms, may also result in extensive property damage, extended business interruption, personal injuries and other loss and damage to us. Our operations also rely on dependable and efficient transportation services. A disruption in transportation services, as a result of weather conditions or otherwise, may also significantly adversely impact our operations. Additionally, the potential physical impacts of climate change are uncertain and may vary by region. These potential effects could include changes in rainfall patterns, water shortages, changing sea levels, changing storm patterns and intensities, and changing temperature levels that could adversely impact our costs and business operations, the location, costs and competitiveness of global agricultural commodity production and related storage and processing facilities and the supply and demand for agricultural commodities. These effects could be material to our results of operations, liquidity or capital resources. We are subject to fluctuations in agricultural commodity and other raw material prices, energy prices and other factors outside of our control that could adversely affect our operating results. Prices for agricultural commodities and their by-products, including, among others, soybeans, corn, wheat, sugar and ethanol, like those of other commodities, are often volatile and sensitive to local and international changes in supply and demand caused by factors outside of our control, including farmer planting and selling decisions, currency fluctuations, government agriculture programs and policies, global inventory levels, demand for biofuels, weather and crop conditions, and demand for and supply of competing commodities and substitutes. These factors may cause volatility in our operating results. Our fertilizer business may also be adversely affected by fluctuations in the prices of agricultural commodities and fertilizer raw materials that are caused by market factors beyond our control. Increases in fertilizer prices due to higher raw material costs have in the past and could in the future adversely affect demand for our fertilizer products. Additionally, as a result of competitive conditions in our Food and Ingredients and Fertilizer segments, we may not be able to recoup increases in raw material costs through increases in sales prices for our products, which may adversely affect our profitability. Additionally, our operating costs and the selling prices of certain of our products are sensitive to changes in energy prices. Our industrial operations utilize significant amounts of electricity, natural gas and coal, and our transportation operations are dependent upon diesel fuel and other petroleum-based products. Significant increases in the cost of these items and currency fluctuations could adversely affect our operating costs and results. We also sell certain biofuel products, such as ethanol and biodiesel, which are closely related to, or may be substituted for, petroleum products. As a result, the selling prices of ethanol and biodiesel can be impacted by the selling prices of oil, gasoline and diesel fuel. In turn, the selling prices of the agricultural commodities and commodity products that we sell, such as corn and vegetable oils that are used as feedstocks for biofuels, are also sensitive to changes in the market price for biofuels, and consequently world petroleum prices. Prices for petroleum products and biofuels are affected by market factors and government fuel policies, over which we have no control. Lower prices for oil, gasoline or diesel fuel could result in decreased selling prices for ethanol, biodiesel and their raw materials, which could adversely affect our revenues and operating results. Our business is seasonal, and our results may fluctuate depending on the harvest cycle of the crops upon which we rely and seasonal fluctuations related to the sale of our consumer products. As with any agricultural business enterprise, our business operations are seasonal in nature. For example, in our Agribusiness segment, while there is a degree of seasonality in the growing season and procurement of our principal raw materials, such as oilseeds and grains, we typically do not experience material fluctuations in volume between the first and second half of the year since we are geographically diversified between the northern and southern hemispheres. The first quarter of the year, however, has generally been our weakest in terms of financial results due to the timing of the North and South American oilseed harvests, as the North American oilseed harvest peaks in the third and fourth quarters, while the South American harvest peaks in the second quarter. This creates price fluctuations, which result in fluctuations in our inventories and a degree of seasonality in our gross profit. In our Fertilizer segment, we are subject to seasonal trends based on the South American agricultural growing cycle as farmers typically purchase the bulk of their fertilizer needs in the second half of the year. In addition, certain of our consumer food products are influenced by holidays and other annual events. Seasonality could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial performance. In addition, our quarterly results may vary as a result of the effects of fluctuations in commodities prices, production yields and costs. We face intense competition in each of our businesses. We face significant competition in each of our businesses and we have numerous competitors, some of which are larger, more diversified and have greater financial resources than we have. Additionally, in recent years we have experienced regional Agribusiness competitors entering new geographies where previously they did not compete with us, and certain customers seeking to procure certain commodities directly rather than through historical suppliers such as us. As many of the products we sell are global commodities, the markets for our products are highly price competitive, and in many cases also sensitive to product substitution. Additionally, the geographic location of assets can competitively advantage or disadvantage us with respect to our competitors in certain regions. We also face competition from changing technologies and shifting industry practices, such as increased on-farm crop storage in several regions, which allows producers to retain commodities for extended periods and increase price pressure on purchasers such as us. To compete effectively, we must continuously focus on improving efficiency in our production and distribution operations, developing and offering products that meet customer needs, optimizing our geographic presence in key markets, and developing and maintaining appropriate market share and customer relationships. We also compete for talent in our industries, particularly commercial personnel. Competition could cause us to lose market share and talented employees, exit certain lines of business, increase marketing or other expenditures, increase our raw material costs or reduce pricing, each of which could have an adverse effect on our business and profitability. We are vulnerable to the effects of supply and demand imbalances in our industries. Historically, the market for some agricultural commodities and fertilizer products has been cyclical, with periods of high demand and capacity utilization stimulating new plant investment and the addition of incremental processing or production capacity by industry participants to meet the demand. The timing and extent of this expansion may then produce excess supply conditions in the market, which, until the supply/demand balance is again restored, negatively impacts product prices and operating results. During times of reduced market demand, we may suspend or reduce production at some of our facilities. The extent to which we efficiently manage available capacity at our facilities will affect our profitability. We also expect the results from our equity investment in the BP Bunge Bioenergia joint venture to be impacted by any potential shortage of, or increasing costs for, sugarcane. We are subject to global and regional economic downturns and related risks. The level of demand for our products is affected by global and regional demographic and macroeconomic conditions, including population growth rates and changes in standards of living. A significant downturn in global economic growth, or recessionary conditions in major geographic regions, may lead to reduced demand for agricultural commodities and food products, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Additionally, weak global economic conditions and adverse conditions in global financial and capital markets, including constraints on the availability of credit, have in the past adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, the financial condition and creditworthiness of some of our customers, suppliers and other counterparties, which in turn may negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations. See "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" for more information. For example, Brazil has experienced significant political uncertainty in recent years due to high profile political corruption scandals, the impeachment of a former president, and general uncertainty regarding the election of a new president that took office during 2019. Additionally, Brazil’s economy has been slow to recover from a severe downturn in 2015 and 2016. The depressed and uncertain economic and political environment in Brazil has adversely affected consumer confidence levels and spending, which has led to reduced demand for products in our Food and Ingredients businesses in the country. The pace of economic improvement is uncertain, and there can be no assurance that economic and political conditions will not continue to affect market and consumer confidence or deteriorate further in the near term. Additionally, a slowdown in China's economy over a prolonged period could lead to reduced global demand for agricultural commodities. For example, in December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus surfaced in Wuhan, China. Although cases have been confirmed in other countries, the outbreak has been largely concentrated in China where certain businesses have suspended or terminated operations, a portion of the population has been subject to self-imposed or mandatory quarantines and economic activity has slowed. To the extent that such economic and political conditions negatively impact consumer and business confidence and consumption patterns or volumes, our business and results of operations could be significantly and adversely affected. We are subject to economic, political and other risks of doing business globally and in emerging markets. We are a global business with a substantial majority of our assets and operations located outside the United States. In addition, our business strategies may involve expanding or developing our business in emerging market regions, including Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Due to the international nature of our business, we are exposed to various risks of international operations, including: • adverse trade policies or trade barriers on agricultural commodities and commodity products; • inflation and hyperinflation and adverse economic effects resulting from governmental attempts to control inflation, such as the imposition of wage and price controls and higher interest rates; • changes in laws and regulations or their interpretation or enforcement in the countries where we operate, such as tax laws, including the risk of future adverse tax regulations relating to our status as a Bermuda company; • difficulties in enforcing agreements or judgments and collecting receivables in foreign jurisdictions; • exchange controls or other currency restrictions and limitations on the movement of funds, such as on the remittance of dividends by subsidiaries; • inadequate infrastructure and logistics challenges; • sovereign risk and the risk of government intervention, including through expropriation, or regulation of the economy or natural resources, including restrictions on foreign ownership of land or other assets; • the requirement to comply with a wide variety of laws and regulations that apply to international operations, including, without limitation, economic sanctions regulations, labor laws, import and export regulations, anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, as well as other laws or regulations discussed in this "Item 1A. Risk Factors" section; • challenges in maintaining an effective internal control environment with operations in multiple international locations, including language differences, varying levels of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP") expertise in international locations and multiple financial information systems; and • labor disruptions, civil unrest, significant political instability, wars or other armed conflict or acts of terrorism. These risks could adversely affect our operations, business strategies and operating results. As a result of our international operations, we are also exposed to currency exchange rate fluctuations. Changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies, particularly the Brazilian real, the euro and other foreign currencies affect our revenues and expenses that are denominated in local currencies, affect farm economics in those regions and may also have a negative impact on the value of our assets located outside of the United States. Additionally, there continues to be a great deal of uncertainty regarding U.S. and global trade policies for companies with multinational operations like ours. In recent years, there has been an increase in populism and nationalism in various countries around the world and consequently historical free trade principles are being challenged. For example, the U.S. government has indicated its intent to adopt a new approach to trade policy and in some cases to renegotiate, or potentially terminate, certain existing bilateral or multi-lateral trade agreements. As we continue to operate our business globally, our success will depend, in part, on the nature and extent of any such changes and how well we are able to anticipate, respond to and effectively manage any such changes. Government policies and regulations affecting the agricultural sector and related industries could adversely affect our operations and profitability. Agricultural commodity production and trade flows are significantly affected by government policies and regulations. Governmental policies affecting the agricultural industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies, import and export restrictions, price controls on agricultural commodities and energy policies (including biofuels mandates), can influence industry profitability, the planting of certain crops versus other uses of agricultural resources, the location and size of crop production, whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded, and the volume and types of imports and exports. Additionally, regulation of financial markets and instruments in the United States and internationally may create uncertainty as these laws are adopted and implemented and may impose significant additional risks and costs that could impact our risk management practices. Further, increases in food and fertilizer prices have in the past resulted in increased scrutiny of our industries under antitrust and competition laws in various jurisdictions and increase the risk that these laws could be interpreted, administered or enforced in a manner that could affect our operations or impose liabilities on us that could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition. Future governmental policies, regulations or actions impacting our industries may adversely affect the supply of, demand for and prices of our products, restrict our ability to do business in existing and target markets, or engage in risk management activities and otherwise cause our financial results to suffer. Finally, international trade disputes can adversely affect agricultural commodity trade flows by limiting or disrupting trade between countries or regions. For example, a trade dispute between the U.S. and China that began in 2018 has led to both countries implementing tariffs on imported goods from the other, including on imports of U.S. soybeans into China. This has led to significant volatility in commodity prices, disruptions in historical trade flows and shifts in planting patterns in the U.S. and South America, which have presented challenges and uncertainties for our business. We cannot predict the effects that future trade policy or the terms of any negotiated trade agreements and their impact on our business could have. Additionally, failure to resolve the trade dispute between the countries may also lead to unexpected operating difficulties in China, enhanced regulatory scrutiny in China, greater difficulty transferring funds, or negative currency impacts. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, divestitures or joint ventures. We have been an active acquirer of other companies, and we have joint ventures with several partners. Part of our strategy involves acquisitions, alliances and joint ventures designed to expand or optimize our portfolio of businesses. Our ability to benefit from acquisitions, joint ventures and alliances depends on many factors, including our ability to identify suitable prospects, access funding sources on acceptable terms, negotiate favorable transaction terms and successfully consummate and integrate any businesses we acquire. In addition, we are currently undertaking a strategic review of our businesses in order to identify opportunities to enhance shareholder value and may decide as a result of that process or otherwise, from time to time, to divest certain of our assets or businesses by selling them or entering into joint ventures. Our ability to successfully complete a divestiture will depend on, among other things, our ability to identify buyers that are prepared to acquire such assets or businesses on acceptable terms and to adjust and optimize our retained businesses following the divestiture. Our acquisition, joint venture or divestiture activities may involve unanticipated delays, costs and other problems. If we encounter unexpected problems with acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures, our senior management may be required to divert attention away from other aspects of our businesses to address these problems. Additionally, we may fail to consummate proposed acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures, after incurring expenses and devoting substantial resources, including management time, to such transactions. Acquisitions also pose the risk that we may be exposed to successor liability relating to actions by an acquired company and its management before the acquisition. The due diligence we conduct in connection with an acquisition, the controls and policies we implement at acquired companies and any contractual guarantees or indemnities that we receive from the sellers of acquired companies, may not be sufficient to protect us from, or compensate us for, actual liabilities. A material liability associated with an acquisition could adversely affect our reputation and results of operations and reduce the benefits of the acquisition. Additionally, acquisitions involve other risks, such as differing levels of management and internal control effectiveness at the acquired entities, systems integration risks, the risk of impairment charges relating to goodwill and intangible assets recorded in connection with acquisitions, the risk of significant accounting charges and expenses resulting from the completion and integration of a sizable acquisition, the need to fund increased capital expenditures and working capital requirements, our ability to retain and motivate employees of acquired entities, compliance and reputational risks and other unanticipated problems and liabilities. Divestitures may also expose us to potential liabilities or claims for indemnification, as we may be required to retain certain liabilities or indemnify buyers for certain matters, including environmental or litigation matters, associated with the assets or businesses that we sell. The magnitude of any such retained liability or indemnification obligation may be difficult to quantify at the time of the transaction, and its cost to us could ultimately exceed the proceeds we receive for the divested assets or businesses. Divestitures also have other inherent risks, including possible delays in closing transactions (including potential difficulties in obtaining regulatory approvals), the risk of lower-than-expected sales proceeds for the divested businesses and unexpected costs or other difficulties associated with the separation of the businesses to be sold from our information technology and other systems and management processes, including the loss of key personnel. Additionally, expected cost savings or other anticipated efficiencies or benefits from divestitures may also be difficult to achieve or maximize. Additionally, we have several joint ventures and investments where we may have limited control over governance, financial reporting and operations. As a result, we face certain operating, financial and other risks relating to these investments, including risks related to the financial strength of our joint venture partners or their willingness to provide adequate funding for the joint venture, having differing objectives from our partners, the inability to implement some actions with respect to the joint venture's activities that we may believe are favorable if the joint venture partner does not agree, compliance risks relating to actions of the joint venture or our partners and the risk that we will be unable to resolve disputes with the joint venture partner. As a result, these investments may contribute significantly less than anticipated to our earnings and cash flows. We recently entered into the BP Bunge Bioenergia joint venture related to our sugar and ethanol business in Brazil, which resulted in the transfer of all assets and operations of this business into a new entity where we hold a 50% interest. We share control with BP, our joint venture partner, in BP Bunge Bioenergia and, as a result, our ability to realize the benefits of this joint venture will depend, in part, on our ability to work with and cooperate with BP and the ability of the leadership of BP Bunge Bioenergia to, among other things, integrate the operations of our business with that of BP into one organization, manage costs associated with such integration, retain key employees and realize the synergies expected from the joint venture. In addition, the business and financial performance of the BP Bunge Bioenergia joint venture may be adversely affected if there is a significant shortage of sugarcane supply, which is the principal raw material used in the production of ethanol and sugar, or if there is an increase in the cost of available sugarcane, which could result from any termination of the joint venture’s partnership or supply contracts. We are subject to industry and other risks that could adversely affect our reputation and financial results. We are subject to food and feed industry risks which include, but are not limited to, spoilage, contamination, tampering or other adulteration of products, product liability claims and recalls. We are also subject to shifts in customer and consumer preferences and concerns regarding the outbreak of disease associated with livestock and poultry, including avian or swine influenza. Also, increasing focus on climate change, deforestation, water, animal welfare and human rights concerns and other risks associated with the global food system may lead to increased activism focusing on food companies and their suppliers, governmental intervention and consumer responses. These risks could adversely affect our or our suppliers’ reputation and business and our ability to procure the materials we need to operate our business. As a company whose products comprise staple food and feed products sold globally, as well as ingredients included in trusted food brands of our customers, maintaining a good corporate reputation is critical to our continued success. Reputational value is based in large part on perceptions, which can shift rapidly in response to negative incidents. The failure or alleged failure to maintain high standards for quality, safety, integrity, environmental sustainability and social responsibility, including with respect to raw materials and services obtained from suppliers, even if untrue, may result in tangible effects, such as reduced demand for our products, disruptions to our operations, increased costs and loss of market share to competitors. Our reputation and results of operations could also be adversely impacted by changing consumer preferences and perceptions relating to some of the products we sell, such as with regard to the quantity and type of fats, sugars and grains consumed, as well as concerns regarding genetically modified crops. Failure to anticipate, adapt or respond effectively to these trends or issues may result in material adverse effects on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We are subject to numerous laws and regulations globally, which could adversely affect our operating results. Due to our global business operations, we are required to comply with numerous laws and regulations in the countries where we operate. These include general business regulations, such as with respect to taxes, accounting, anti-corruption and fair competition, global trade, trade sanctions, product safety, the manufacturing, transport and sale of our products, environmental matters and the handling and production of regulated substances. In addition to liabilities arising out of our current and future operations for which we have ongoing processes to manage compliance with regulatory obligations, we may be subject to environmental liabilities for past operations at current facilities and in some cases to liabilities for past operations at facilities that we no longer own or operate. We may also be subject to liabilities for operations of acquired companies. Our industrial activities can also result in serious accidents that could result in personal injuries, facility shutdowns, reputational harm to our business and/or the expenditure of significant amounts to remediate safety issues or repair damaged facilities. We may incur material costs or liabilities to comply with environmental, health and safety requirements. Any failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may subject us to fines, penalties and other liabilities, as well as damage to our reputation. Due to the international scope of our operations, we are subject to a complex system of import- and export-related laws and regulations, including U.S. regulations issued by Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Industry and Security, the Office of Antiboycott Compliance, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and Office of Foreign Assets Control, as well as the counterparts of these agencies in other countries. Any alleged or actual violations may subject us to government scrutiny, investigation and civil and criminal penalties, and may limit our ability to import or export our products, or to provide services outside the United States. Furthermore, embargoes and sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other governments restricting or prohibiting sales to specific persons or countries or based on product classification may expose us to potential criminal or civil sanctions. We cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of future regulatory requirements to which our operations might be subject or in certain locations the manner in which existing laws might be administered or interpreted. In addition, continued government and public emphasis in countries where we operate on environmental issues, including climate change, conservation and natural resource management, have resulted in and could result in new or more stringent forms of regulatory oversight or other limitations on the agricultural industry, including increased environmental controls, land-use restrictions affecting us or our suppliers and other conditions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations. For example, certain aspects of our business and the larger food production chain generate carbon emissions. The imposition of regulatory restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, which may include limitations on greenhouse gas emissions, other restrictions on industrial operations, taxes or fees on greenhouse gas emissions, and other measures, could affect land-use decisions, the cost of agricultural production and the cost and means of processing and transporting our products, which could adversely affect our business, cash flows and results of operations. We are exposed to credit and counterparty risk relating to our customers in the ordinary course of business. In particular, we advance capital and provide other financing arrangements to farmers in Brazil and, as a result, our business and financial results may be adversely affected if these farmers are unable to repay the capital advanced to them. We have various credit terms with customers, and our customers have varying degrees of creditworthiness, which exposes us to the risk of non-payment or other default under our contracts and other arrangements with them. In the event that we experience significant defaults on their payment obligations to us, our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. In Brazil, where there have been limited third-party financing sources available to farmers, we provide financing to farmers from whom we purchase soybeans and other agricultural commodities through prepaid commodity purchase contracts and advances, which are generally intended to be short-term in nature and are typically secured by the farmer's crop and a mortgage on the farmer's land and other assets to provide a means of repayment in the potential event of crop failure or shortfall. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, we had approximately $568 million and $609 million in outstanding prepaid commodity purchase contracts and advances to farmers. We are exposed to the risk that the underlying crop will be insufficient to satisfy a farmer's obligation under the financing arrangements as a result of weather and crop growing conditions, and other factors that influence the price, supply and demand for agricultural commodities. In addition, any collateral held by us as part of these financing transactions may not be sufficient to fully protect us from loss. We are a capital intensive business and depend on cash provided by our operations as well as access to external financing to operate and grow our business. We require significant amounts of capital to operate our business and fund capital expenditures. Our working capital needs are directly affected by the prices of agricultural commodities, with increases in commodity prices generally causing increases in our borrowing levels. We are also required to make substantial capital expenditures to maintain, upgrade and expand our extensive network of storage facilities, processing plants, refineries, mills, logistics assets and other facilities to keep pace with competitive developments, technological advances and safety and environmental standards. Furthermore, the expansion of our business and pursuit of acquisitions or other business opportunities may require us to have access to significant amounts of capital. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows or raise sufficient external financing on attractive terms to fund these activities, including as a result of a tightening in the global credit markets, we may be forced to limit our operations and growth plans, which may adversely impact our competitiveness and, therefore, our results of operations. As of December 31, 2019, we had $4,315 million of aggregate unused committed borrowing capacity under our commercial paper program and various revolving bilateral and syndicated credit facilities and $4,994 million in total debt. Our debt levels could limit our ability to obtain additional financing, limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in the markets in which we compete, place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that are less leveraged than we are, and require us to dedicate more cash on a relative basis to servicing our debt and less to developing our business. This may limit our ability to run our business and use our resources in the manner in which we would like. Furthermore, difficult conditions in global credit or financial markets generally could adversely impact our ability to refinance maturing debt or the cost or other terms of such refinancing, as well as adversely affect the financial position of the lenders with whom we do business, which may reduce our ability to obtain financing for our operations. See "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources" Access to credit markets and pricing of company debt is also dependent on maintaining appropriate credit ratings, and one of our financial objectives has been to maintain an investment grade credit rating. While our debt agreements do not have any credit rating downgrade triggers that would accelerate the maturity of our debt, reductions in our credit ratings would increase our borrowing costs and, depending on their severity, could impede our ability to obtain credit facilities or access the capital markets in the future on favorable terms, as well as impair our ability to compete effectively relative to competitors with higher credit ratings. In addition, some of our credit facilities, interest rate derivatives and commercial agreements use LIBOR (London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) as the benchmark rate. LIBOR has recently been the subject of international reform proposals and it is expected that LIBOR will be discontinued or modified by the end of 2021. At this time, it is not possible to predict the effect that these developments, any discontinuance, modification or other reforms to LIBOR, or the establishment of alternative reference rates may have on LIBOR, other benchmark rates or floating rate debt instruments. While certain of our credit facilities contain LIBOR alternative provisions, the use of alternative reference rates or other reforms could cause the interest rate on our borrowings to be materially different than expected. These developments may cause us to renegotiate some of these agreements. We will continue to monitor market developments related to LIBOR's modification or discontinuance. Our risk management strategies may not be effective. Our business is affected by fluctuations in agricultural commodity prices, transportation costs, energy prices, interest rates, and foreign currency exchange rates. We engage in hedging transactions to manage these risks. However, our exposures may not always be fully hedged, and our hedging strategies may not be successful in minimizing our exposure to these fluctuations. In addition, our risk management strategies may seek to position our overall portfolio relative to expected market movements. While we have implemented a broad range of risk monitoring and control procedures and policies to mitigate potential losses, they may not in all cases be successful in anticipating a significant risk exposure and protecting us from losses that have the potential to impair our financial position. See "Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" We may not be able to achieve the targeted benefits anticipated from our portfolio rationalization and business realignment initiatives. In May 2019, we announced a new, global operating model aligned with our commercial activities of handling and processing agricultural commodities and commodity products, managing physical product flows, and risk management and optimization. This organizational realignment, could, among other things, require a significant investment of capital and human resources and may be costly and disruptive to our operations, and could impose substantial demands on the time of management. The realignment may also require, among other things, changes in our systems, modification of internal control procedures and training of employees or third party resources. The impact of any strategic or operational challenges we face during or as a result of the realignment could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operation and cash flows. In addition, we may not achieve the targeted benefits under the realignment, or we may not achieve them within our expected timetable. Unexpected delays, increased costs, adverse effects on our internal control environment, the inability to retain or motivate employees, or other challenges arising from the realignment could adversely affect our ability to realize its intended benefits. The loss of, or a disruption in, our manufacturing and distribution operations or other operations and systems could adversely affect our business. We are engaged in manufacturing and distribution activities on a global scale, and our business depends on our ability to execute and monitor, on a daily basis, a significant number of transactions across numerous markets or geographies. As a result, we are subject to the risks inherent in such activities, including industrial accidents, environmental events, fires, explosions, strikes and other labor or industrial disputes, and disruptions in logistics or information systems, as well as natural disasters, pandemics, acts of terrorism and other external factors over which we have no control. While we insure ourselves against many of these types of risks in accordance with industry standards, our level of insurance may not cover all losses. The potential effects of these conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Our information technology systems, processes and sites may suffer interruptions, security breaches or failures that may adversely affect our ability to conduct our business. We rely on certain key information technology systems, some of which are dependent on services provided by third parties, to provide critical data and services for internal and external users, including procurement and inventory management, transaction processing, financial, commercial and operational data, human resources management, legal and tax compliance, and other information and processes necessary to operate and manage our business. Increased social engineering threats and more sophisticated computer crime, including advanced persistent threats, pose a potential risk to the security of our information technology systems, networks and services. Our information technology and infrastructure may experience attacks by hackers, breaches or other failures or disruptions that could compromise our systems and the information stored there. While we have implemented security measures and disaster recovery plans designed to protect the security and continuity of our networks and critical systems, these measures may not adequately prevent adverse events such as breaches or failures from occurring, or mitigate their severity if they do occur. If our information technology systems are breached, damaged or fail to function properly due to any number of causes, such as security breaches or cyber-based attacks, systems implementation difficulties, catastrophic events or power outages, and our security, contingency disaster recovery, or other risk mitigation plans do not effectively mitigate these occurrences on a timely basis, we may experience a material disruption in our ability to manage our business operations and produce financial reports, as well as significant costs and lost business opportunities until they are remediated. We may also be subject to legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, potential regulatory penalties and damage to our reputation. These impacts may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition, as well as our competitive position. Changes in tax laws or exposure to additional tax liabilities could have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We are subject to income taxes as well as non-income taxes in various jurisdictions throughout the world. Tax authorities may disagree with certain positions we have taken and assess additional taxes, along with interest and penalties. We regularly assess the likely outcomes of these audits and assessments in order to assess the appropriateness of our tax assets and liabilities. However, the calculation of such liabilities involves significant judgment in the interpretation of complex tax regulations in many jurisdictions. Therefore, any dispute with a taxing authority may result in a payment or outcome that is significantly different from current estimates. There can be no assurance that we will accurately predict the outcomes of these audits and the actual outcomes of these audits could have a material impact on our consolidated earnings and financial condition in the periods in which they are recognized. Additionally, changes in tax laws could materially impact our effective tax rate and the monetization of recoverable tax assets (indirect tax credits). Furthermore, the ongoing efforts in corporate tax transparency by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development ("OECD") and a number of countries has resulted in additional mandatory disclosures, which will likely cause additional scrutiny of the Company's tax positions and potentially increased tax assessments. Risks Relating to Our Common Shares We are a Bermuda company, and it may be difficult to enforce judgments against us and our directors and executive officers. We are a Bermuda exempted company. As a result, the rights of holders of our common shares will be governed by Bermuda law and our memorandum of association and bye-laws. The rights of shareholders under Bermuda law may differ from the rights of shareholders of companies or corporations incorporated in other jurisdictions, including the United States. Several of our directors and some of our officers are non-residents of the United States, and a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those directors and officers are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult to effect service of process on those persons in the United States or to enforce in the U.S. judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us or those persons based on civil liability provisions of the U.S. securities laws. It is doubtful whether courts in Bermuda will enforce judgments obtained in other jurisdictions, including the United States, against us or our directors or officers under the securities laws of those jurisdictions or entertain actions in Bermuda against us or our directors or officers under the securities laws of other jurisdictions. Our bye-laws restrict shareholders from bringing legal action against our officers and directors. Our bye-laws contain a broad waiver by our shareholders of any claim or right of action, both individually and on our behalf, against any of our officers or directors. The waiver applies to any action taken by an officer or director, or the failure of an officer or director to take any action, in the performance of his or her duties, except with respect to any matter involving any fraud or dishonesty on the part of the officer or director. This waiver limits the right of shareholders to assert claims against our officers and directors unless the act, or failure to act, involves fraud or dishonesty. We have anti-takeover provisions in our bye-laws that may discourage a change of control. Our bye-laws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without the consent of our Board of Directors. These provisions provide for: • directors to be removed without cause at any special general meeting only upon the affirmative vote of at least 66% of all votes attaching to all shares entitling the holder to attend and vote on the resolution then in issue; • restrictions on the time period in which directors may be nominated; • our Board of Directors to determine the powers, preferences and rights of our preference shares and to issue the preference shares without shareholder approval; and • an affirmative vote of at least 66% of all votes attaching to all shares then in issue entitling the holder to attend and vote on the resolution for some business combination transactions, which have not been approved by our Board of Directors. These provisions, as well as any additional anti-takeover measures our Board of Directors could adopt in the future, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if the third party's offer may be considered beneficial by many shareholders. As a result, shareholders may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares. Item 1B.