ADM Donates $100,000 to Agriculture Future of America

DECATUR, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) announced today a donation of $100,000 to Agriculture Future of America (AFA). AFA is a nonprofit organization that offers leadership and career development and academic scholarships to college students pursuing careers in agriculture-related fields.

“ADM and AFA share the belief that agriculture is an important part of the American economy, and that the development of tomorrow’s agricultural leaders is essential to ensuring a strong and vibrant industry into the future,” said Jennifer Ballinger, manager, ADM Cares. “We are pleased to announce our support for AFA on National Ag Day, a day when Americans celebrate the contributions of agriculture to our everyday lives.”

“ADM turns crops into products that are used by people around the world every day. As we work to connect the harvest to the home, we look to organizations like AFA to help develop and train the next generation of industry leaders,” said Pete Goetzmann, vice president, ADM Grain Group, and member of the AFA Board of Directors. “By investing in the development of college students and young professionals, AFA is working to ensure a strong future for agriculture.”

“Agriculture is the foundation of the American economy, but too few students understand the range of agricultural careers available today,” said Russ Weathers, AFA President and CEO. “ADM’s support will help us build awareness of careers in agriculture and advance the programs we offer to help prepare young people for those exciting and challenging jobs.”

ADM’s donation will be used by AFA to:

• Connect students, young professionals, partners and industry through Web-based resources;
• Partner with universities, associations and corporations to offer additional opportunities for training through the AFA network;
• Strengthen partnerships to provide essential work experience for career development;
• Develop and enhance AFA partnerships with colleges and universities; and
• Partner with organizations, associations, corporations, individuals and foundations that produce and support food, fiber, energy, technology and medicine.

This donation is being given through ADM Cares, the company’s social-investment program. ADM Cares is a corporate social-investment program that directs up to one percent of ADM’s pretax profits to initiatives and organizations that drive meaningful social, economic and environmental progress worldwide. The program comprises three distinct areas of focus: supporting the responsible development of agriculture, improving the quality of life in ADM communities and fostering employee giving and volunteer activities.

About AFA

AFA is a not-for-profit organization created for tomorrow’s leaders in the agriculture industry. The organization is dedicated to encouraging and supporting college students preparing for careers in the agriculture and food industry. AFA was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Mo. Since 1997, more than 1,500 scholarships have been awarded totaling more than $6 million. More than 6,000 collegians and young professionals have benefited from AFA leader development programs.

About ADM

Every day, the 29,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) turn crops into renewable products that meet the demands of a growing world. At more than 240 processing plants, we convert corn, oilseeds, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. We operate the world’s premier crop origination and transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 60 countries. Our global headquarters is in Decatur, Illinois, and our net sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, were $62 billion. For more information about our company and our products, visit www.adm.com.

Archer Daniels Midland Company
ADM Media Relations
217-424-5413
media@adm.com