SunOpta (STKL) 10-Q 5 Aug 20 2020 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jul. 31, 2020
Entity Registrant Name	SUNOPTA INC.
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jun. 27, 2020
Document Type	10-Q
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		89,403,199
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--01-02
Entity Central Index Key	0000351834
Entity File Number	001-34198
Entity Address, Address Line One	2233 Argentia Road, Suite 401
Entity Address, City or Town	Mississauga
City Area Code	905
Local Phone Number	821-9669
Entity Address, State or Province	ON
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Tax Identification Number	00-0000000
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	Z4
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	L5N 2X7
Document Transition Report	false
Document Quarterly Report	true
Entity Address, Country	CA
Entity Incorporation, Date of Incorporation	Nov. 13, 1973
The Nasdaq Stock Market | Common Shares
Trading Symbol	STKL
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock
The Toronto Stock Exchange | Common Shares
Trading Symbol	SOY
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Shares

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 310,944	$ 293,004	$ 646,893	$ 598,279
Cost of goods sold	271,252	265,677	563,481	542,746
Gross profit	39,692	27,327	83,412	55,533
Selling, general and administrative expenses	28,299	27,262	55,505	53,510
Intangible asset amortization	2,605	2,692	5,326	5,434
Other expense (income), net	(333)	445	(1,631)	(43,067)
Foreign exchange loss (gain)	(44)	(90)	2,290	(1,194)
Earnings (loss) before the following	9,165	(2,982)	21,922	40,850
Interest expense, net	7,936	8,254	16,216	16,993
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	1,229	(11,236)	5,706	23,857
Provision for (recovery of) income taxes	452	(2,324)	1,582	7,174
Net earnings (loss)	777	(8,912)	4,124	16,683
Earnings (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	(230)	143	(244)	89
Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc.	1,007	(9,055)	4,368	16,594
Dividends and accretion on preferred stock	(2,604)	(2,001)	(4,629)	(3,996)
Earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$ (1,597)	$ (11,056)	$ (261)	$ 12,598
Earnings (loss) per share
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.02)	$ (0.13)	$ 0	$ 0.14
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.02)	$ (0.13)	$ 0	$ 0.14
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (000s)
Basic	89,089	87,683	88,625	87,579
Diluted	89,089	87,683	88,625	87,743

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net earnings (loss)	$ 777	$ (8,912)	$ 4,124	$ 16,683
Currency translation adjustment	407	243	101	(839)
Comprehensive earnings (loss)	1,184	(8,669)	4,225	15,844
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	(240)	137	(251)	91
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc.	$ 1,424	$ (8,806)	$ 4,476	$ 15,753

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 27, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,625	$ 1,498
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $1,960 and $1,386, respectively	124,279	121,445
Inventories	318,002	323,546
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	28,103	35,985
Income taxes recoverable	5,660	7,480
Total current assets	477,669	489,954
Property, plant and equipment	190,519	184,550
Operating lease right-of-use assets	62,248	68,433
Goodwill	28,462	28,422
Intangible assets	144,679	150,009
Deferred income taxes	2,187
Other assets	3,661	1,991
Total assets	909,425	923,359
Current liabilities
Bank indebtedness	204,852	245,536
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	132,795	133,529
Customer and other deposits	166	37
Income taxes payable	1,610	1,272
Other current liabilities	633	802
Current portion of long-term debt	3,276	2,987
Current portion of operating lease liabilities	15,971	17,215
Current portion of long-term liabilities	900	4,286
Total current liabilities	360,203	405,664
Long-term debt	240,785	242,204
Operating lease liabilities	47,020	52,020
Long-term liabilities	1,905	2,011
Deferred income taxes	14,432	9,027
Total liabilities	664,345	710,926
SunOpta Inc. shareholders' equity
Common shares, no par value, unlimited shares authorized, 89,402,558 shares issued (December 28, 2019 - 88,089,733)	323,412	318,456
Additional paid-in capital	34,610	35,767
Accumulated deficit	(215,192)	(214,931)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(11,163)	(11,271)
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent, Total	131,667	128,021
Non-controlling interests	1,637	1,888
Total equity	133,304	129,909
Total equity and liabilities	909,425	923,359
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Temporary equity
Preferred Stock	84,881	$ 82,524
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Temporary equity
Preferred Stock	$ 26,895

Consolidated Balance Sheet (Par

Consolidated Balance Sheet (Parentheticals) - USD ($) $ / shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Jun. 27, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for credit losses	$ 1,960	$ 1,386
Common Stock, No Par Value	$ 0	$ 0
Common Stock Shares Issued	89,402,558	88,089,733

Consolidated Statements of Shar

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Common shares [Member]	Additional paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated deficit [Member]	Accumulated other comprehensive loss [Member]	Non-controlling interests [Member]	Total
Balance at Dec. 29, 2018	$ 314,357	$ 31,796	$ (206,151)	$ (9,667)	$ 1,504	$ 131,839
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 29, 2018	87,423
Employee stock purchase plan	$ 285					285
Employee stock purchase plan (in shares)	96
Stock incentive plan	$ 3,093	(2,731)				362
Stock incentive plan (in shares)	338
Withholding taxes on stock-based awards		(382)				(382)
Stock-based compensation		2,835				2,835
Dividends on preferred stock			(3,400)			(3,400)
Accretion on preferred stock			(596)			(596)
Net earnings (loss)			16,594		89	16,683
Currency translation adjustment				(841)	2	(839)
Capital contribution to majority-owned subsidiary					203	203
Balance at Jun. 29, 2019	$ 317,735	31,518	(193,553)	(10,508)	1,798	146,990
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 29, 2019	87,857
Balance at Mar. 30, 2019	$ 315,202	31,016	(182,497)	(10,757)	1,458	154,422
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 30, 2019	87,575
Employee stock purchase plan	$ 137					137
Employee stock purchase plan (in shares)	40
Stock incentive plan	$ 2,396	(2,197)				199
Stock incentive plan (in shares)	242
Withholding taxes on stock-based awards		(299)				(299)
Stock-based compensation		2,998				2,998
Dividends on preferred stock			(1,700)			(1,700)
Accretion on preferred stock			(301)			(301)
Net earnings (loss)			(9,055)		143	(8,912)
Currency translation adjustment				249	(6)	243
Capital contribution to majority-owned subsidiary					203	203
Balance at Jun. 29, 2019	$ 317,735	31,518	(193,553)	(10,508)	1,798	146,990
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 29, 2019	87,857
Balance at Dec. 28, 2019	$ 318,456	35,767	(214,931)	(11,271)	1,888	129,909
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 28, 2019	88,090
Employee stock purchase plan	$ 195					195
Employee stock purchase plan (in shares)	73
Stock incentive plan	$ 4,761	(4,385)				376
Stock incentive plan (in shares)	1,240
Withholding taxes on stock-based awards		(1,151)				(1,151)
Stock-based compensation		4,379				4,379
Dividends on preferred stock			(3,881)			(3,881)
Accretion on preferred stock			(748)			(748)
Net earnings (loss)			4,368		(244)	4,124
Currency translation adjustment				108	(7)	101
Balance at Jun. 27, 2020	$ 323,412	34,610	(215,192)	(11,163)	1,637	133,304
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 27, 2020	89,403
Balance at Mar. 28, 2020	$ 318,958	37,813	(213,595)	(11,580)	1,877	133,473
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 28, 2020	88,225
Employee stock purchase plan	$ 95					95
Employee stock purchase plan (in shares)	26
Stock incentive plan	$ 4,359	(4,105)				254
Stock incentive plan (in shares)	1,152
Withholding taxes on stock-based awards		(1,030)				(1,030)
Stock-based compensation		1,932				1,932
Dividends on preferred stock			(2,181)			(2,181)
Accretion on preferred stock			(423)			(423)
Net earnings (loss)			1,007		(230)	777
Currency translation adjustment				417	(10)	407
Balance at Jun. 27, 2020	$ 323,412	$ 34,610	$ (215,192)	$ (11,163)	$ 1,637	$ 133,304
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 27, 2020	89,403

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Operating activities
Net earnings (loss)	$ 777	$ (8,912)	$ 4,124	$ 16,683
Items not affecting cash:
Depreciation and amortization	8,751	8,186	17,673	16,488
Amortization of debt issuance costs	1,065	684	2,004	1,339
Deferred income taxes	2,958	(2,356)	3,218	4,971
Stock-based compensation	1,932	2,998	4,379	2,835
Unrealized loss (gain) on derivative contracts	(406)	(400)	150	(288)
Gain on settlement of contingent consideration obligation (note 10)	0	0	(2,286)	0
Loss (gain) on sale of business	0	201	0	(45,378)
Other	(11)	(72)	(101)	(134)
Changes in non-cash working capital, net of businesses acquired or sold	(12,401)	(31,989)	8,253	(27,188)
Net cash flows from operating activities	2,665	(31,660)	37,414	(30,672)
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(6,370)	(9,341)	(16,059)	(17,315)
Net proceeds from sale of business		(201)		64,675
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired		(3,341)		(3,341)
Other	41		41
Net cash flows from investing activities	(6,329)	(12,883)	(16,018)	44,019
Financing activities
Increase (decrease) under line of credit facilities	(21,257)	43,367	(41,011)	(11,294)
Borrowings under long-term debt		24	155	1,876
Repayment of long-term debt	(744)	(634)	(1,341)	(1,357)
Proceeds on issuance of preferred stock, net of issuance costs	26,804		26,804
Payment of cash dividends on preferred stock		(1,700)	(1,700)	(3,400)
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options and employee purchases	349	336	571	647
Payment of withholding taxes on stock-based awards	(1,030)	(299)	(1,151)	(382)
Payment of debt issuance costs	(415)	(81)	(2,488)	(395)
Payment of contingent consideration	(1,100)		(1,100)
Other		(5)	(4)	216
Net cash flows from financing activities	2,607	41,008	(21,265)	(14,089)
Foreign exchange gain (loss) on cash held in a foreign currency	12	50	(4)	(8)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the period	(1,045)	(3,485)	127	(750)
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of the period	2,670	6,015	1,498	3,280
Cash and cash equivalents - end of the period	$ 1,625	$ 2,530	$ 1,625	$ 2,530

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	1. Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation These interim consolidated financial statements of SunOpta Inc. (the "Company" or "SunOpta") have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information. Accordingly, these condensed interim consolidated financial statements do not include all of the disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for fair presentation have been included and all such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Operating results for the quarter and two quarters ended June 27, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full fiscal year ending January 2, 2021 or for any other period. The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, and have been prepared on a basis consistent with the annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 28, 2019. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2019. As described in note 14, in the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company changed its segment reporting to reflect changes to its operating structure. All segment information presented in these consolidated financial statements for the quarter and two quarters ended June 29, 2019 has been restated to reflect the new segment reporting structure. Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the Company consists o 3-week period ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Effective the first quarter of 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-13, "Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments," which requires the immediate recognition of expected versus incurred credit losses for most financial assets. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 under the modified retrospective approach and applied the new guidance to its short-term accounts receivable. The adoption of this new guidance did not result in the recognition of additional allowances for credit losses. The Company closely monitors receivable balances and estimates the allowance for credit losses based on historical collection experience, and account aging analysis and trends. The Company evaluates the adequacy of the allowance each reporting period, considering individual customer account reviews, write-offs recorded in the period, sales forecasts and trends, and current and expected economic conditions.

Revenue

Revenue	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue [Text Block]	2. Revenue The Company procures, processes and sells organic and non-GMO ingredients, and processes and packages plant-based and fruit-based foods and beverages. The Company's customers include retailers, foodservice operators, branded food companies and food manufacturers. The following table presents a disaggregation of the Company's revenues based on categories used by the Company to evaluate sales performance: Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Global Ingredients Organic and non-GMO ingredients 103,674 101,938 209,916 207,822 Premium juice 22,869 18,954 44,979 37,566 Soy and corn (see note 3) — — — 10,346 Total Global Ingredients 126,543 120,892 254,895 255,734 Plant-Based Foods and Beverages Beverages and broths 68,451 61,036 155,221 125,818 Plant-based ingredients 6,284 5,835 12,196 10,517 Sunflower and roasted snacks 16,970 15,069 30,530 26,881 Total Plant-Based Foods and Beverages 91,705 81,940 197,947 163,216 Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages Frozen fruit 75,079 65,952 150,286 131,144 Fruit-based ingredients 7,946 12,770 19,838 24,256 Fruit snacks 9,671 11,450 23,927 23,929 Total Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages 92,696 90,172 194,051 179,329 Total revenues 310,944 293,004 646,893 598,279

Sale of Soy and Corn Business

Sale of Soy and Corn Business	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Sale Of Soy And Corn Business [Abstract]
Sale of Soy and Corn Business [Text Block]	3. Sale of Soy and Corn Business On February 22, 2019, the Company's subsidiary, SunOpta Grains and Foods Inc., completed the sale of its specialty and organic soy and corn business to Pipeline Foods, LLC for $66.5 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments. The soy and corn business engaged in seed and grain conditioning and corn milling and formed part of the Company's Global Ingredients segment. The business included five facilities located in Hope, Minnesota, Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, Ellendale, Minnesota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and Cresco, Iowa. For the two quarters ended June 29, 2019, the Company recognized a net gain on sale of the soy and corn business of $45.4 million, which was recognized in other income. For the period ended February 22, 2019, the soy and corn business generated revenues of $10.3 million and reported a loss before income taxes of $0.2 million (excluding management fees charged by Corporate Services).

Value Creation Plan

Value Creation Plan	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Value Creation Plan [Text Block]	4. Value Creation Plan The Value Creation Plan is a broad-based initiative focused on increasing shareholder value through structural investments in people and assets, together with restructuring activities to streamline operations. In the first two quarters of 2020, measures taken under the Value Creation Plan included the consolidation of the Company's corporate office functions, the closure of an organic ingredient warehousing facility located in China, and other business development activities. In the first two quarters of 2019, actions taken under the Value Creation Plan related to the sale of the soy and corn business, and transition of the Company's Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"). The following table summarizes costs incurred by type under the Value Creation Plan for the two quarters ended June 27, 2020 and June 29, 2019: Employee Asset recruitment, impairments retention and and facility termination Professional closure costs costs fees Total $ $ $ $ June 27, 2020 Balance payable, December 28, 2019 (1) 201 4,026 — 4,227 Costs incurred and charged to expense 365 1,320 789 2,474 Cash payments, net (387 ) (2,175 ) (789 ) (3,351 ) Non-cash adjustments (78 ) 894 — 816 Balance payable, June 27, 2020 (1) 101 4,065 — 4,166 June 29, 2019 Balance payable, December 29, 2018 477 436 — 913 Costs incurred and charged to expense 308 2,947 278 3,533 Cash payments, net (483 ) (3,886 ) (278 ) (4,647 ) Non-cash adjustments — 2,102 — 2,102 Balance payable, June 29, 2019 302 1,599 — 1,901 (1) Balance payable was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. The following table summarizes costs incurred since the inception of the Value Creation Plan in 2016 to June 27, 2020: Employee Asset recruitment, Professional impairments retention and fees and and facility termination temporary closure costs costs labor costs Total $ $ $ $ Costs incurred and charged to expense 35,325 24,289 23,121 82,735 Cash payments, net (10,649 ) (25,672 ) (23,121 ) (59,442 ) Non-cash adjustments (24,575 ) 5,448 — (19,127 ) Balance payable, June 27, 2020 101 4,065 — 4,166 For the quarters and two quarters ended June 27, 2020 and June 29, 2019, costs incurred and charged to expense were recorded in the consolidated statement of operations as follows: Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Selling, general and administrative expenses (1) 463 954 1,499 1,157 Other expense (2) 16 721 975 2,376 479 1,675 2,474 3,533 (1) Professional fees and employee retention, recruitment and relocation costs recorded in selling general and administrative expenses were allocated to Corporate Services. (2) For the quarter ended June 27, 2020, costs recorded in other expense were allocated as follows: Global Ingredients - $0.4 million (June 29, 2019 - $nil ); Plant-Based Foods and Beverages - $nil (June 29, 2019 - $0.1 million); Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages - $(0.2) million (June 29, 2019 - $0.5 million); and Corporate Services - $(0.2) million (June 29, 2019 - $0.2 million). For the two quarters ended June 27, 2020, costs recorded in other expense were allocated as follows: Global Ingredients - $0.8 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.0 million); Plant-Based Foods and Beverages - $0.0 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.5 million); Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages - $0.8 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.8 million); and Corporate Services - $(0.6) million (June 29, 2019 - $1.1 million).

Derivative Financial Instrument

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements [Text Block]	5. Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements The following table presents for each of the fair value hierarchies, the assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of June 27, 2020 and December 28, 2019: June 27, 2020 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ Commodity futures contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 134 134 — — Forward foreign currency contracts (2) Not designated as hedging instruments (70 ) — ( 70 ) — December 28, 2019 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ Commodity futures contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 284 284 — — Forward foreign currency contracts (2) Not designated as hedging instruments (73 ) — (73 ) — (1) As at June 27, 2020, outstanding contracts comprised exchange-traded commodity futures for cocoa and coffee, which are used as part of the Company's risk management strategy and represent economic hedges to limit risk related to fluctuations in the price of these commodities. These contracts are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes. Exchange-traded futures are fair valued based on unadjusted quotes for identical assets priced in active markets and are classified as level 1. Gains and losses on changes in the fair value of these contracts are included in cost of goods sold on the consolidated statement of operations. For the quarter ended June 27, 2020, the Company recognized a gain of $0.4 million (June 29, 2019 - gain of $0.4 million), and for the two quarters ended June 27, 2020, the Company recognized a loss of $0.2 million (June 29, 2019 - gain of $0.3 million), related to changes in the fair value of these contracts. On the consolidated balance sheets, unrealized gains and losses on these contracts are included in other current assets and other current liabilities, respectively. As at June 27, 2020, the Company had net open futures contracts to sell 2,160 metric tons ("MT") of cocoa (December 28, 2019 - to sell 3,210 MT) and to purchase 85 MT of coffee (December 28, 2019 - to sell 306 MT). (2) Foreign forward currency contracts As part of its risk management strategy, the Company enters into forward foreign exchange contracts to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. For any open forward foreign exchange contracts at period end, the contract rate is compared to the forward rate, and a gain or loss is recorded. These contracts are included in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, as the inputs used in making the fair value determination are derived from and are corroborated by observable market data. These contracts typically represent economic hedges that are not designated as hedging instruments; however, certain of these contracts may be designated as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes. As at June 27, 2020, the Company had open forward foreign exchange contracts to sell euros to buy U.S. dollars with a notional value of €18.2 million ($20.4 million), to sell British pounds to buy euros with a notional value of £0.4 million (€0.5 million), and to sell Swiss francs to buy U.S. dollars with a notional value of CHF 3.8 million ($4.0 million). As these contracts were not designated as hedging instruments, gains and losses on changes in the fair value of the derivative instruments are included in foreign exchange loss or gain on the consolidated statement of operations. For the quarter ended June 27, 2020, the Company recognized a loss of $0.2 million (June 29, 2019 - loss of $0.4 million), and for the two quarters ended June 27, 2020, the Company recognized a gain of $0.0 million (June 29, 2019 - loss of $0.4 million), related to changes in the fair value of these open contracts. Unrealized gains and losses on these contracts are included in accounts receivable and accounts payable, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheets. In April 2020, the Company entered into a combination of foreign currency put and call option contracts (a zero-cost collar) to hedge its exposure to fluctuations in the Mexican peso related to purchases of fruit inventory from Mexico through the remainder of 2020. The aggregate notional amount of these contracts was $21.5 million at inception, which reduces to zero over the course of 2020, with contracts in the notional amount of $11.5 million remaining open as at June 27, 2020. The collar has a ceiling rate of 25.23 Mexican pesos to the U.S. dollar and a floor rate of 23.50 Mexican pesos to the U.S. dollar. If the spot rate is between these two rates on the date of maturity of each of the contracts, then the Company does not recognize any gain or loss under these contracts. If the spot rate goes below the floor rate of the collar, the Company will recognize a foreign exchange gain, and if the spot rate goes above the ceiling rate of the collar, the Company will recognize a foreign exchange loss. For the quarter and two quarters ended June 27, 2020, the Company did not recognize any amount of unrealized gain or loss on the open contracts.

Inventories

Inventories	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories [Text Block]	6. Inventories June 27, 2020 December 28, 2019 $ $ Raw materials and work-in-process 255,863 259,658 Finished goods 74,468 75,112 Inventory reserves (12,329 ) (11,224 ) 318,002 323,546

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt [Text Block]	7. Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt June 27, 2020 December 28, 2019 $ $ Bank Indebtedness Global Credit Facility (1) 202,263 241,666 Bulgarian credit facility (2) 2,589 3,870 204,852 245,536 Long-Term Debt Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs (3) 219,148 218,404 Finance lease liabilities (4) 15,143 16,223 Asset-backed term loan 4,151 4,386 Other 5,619 6,178 244,061 245,191 Less: current portion 3,276 2,987 240,785 242,204 (1) On February 11, 2016, the Company entered into a five-year credit agreement for a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million, subject to borrowing base capacity (the "Global Credit Facility"). The Global Credit Facility is used to support the working capital and general corporate needs of the Company's global operations, in addition to funding future strategic initiatives. The Global Credit Facility also includes borrowing capacity available for letters of credit and provides for borrowings on same-day notice, including in the form of swingline loans. On January 28, 2020, the credit agreement was amended to, among other things, extend the maturity date of the Global Credit Facility to March 31, 2022. Individual borrowings under the Global Credit Facility have terms of six months or less and bear interest based on various reference rates plus an applicable margin. The margin ranges from 0.25% to 0.75% with respect to base rate and prime rate borrowings and from 1.25% to 1.75% for eurocurrency rate and bankers' acceptance rate borrowings. In connection with the amendment of the credit agreement on January 28, 2020, the applicable margin rate on any loans under the Global Credit Facility (including the U.S. Subfacility, as described below) is increased by an additional 0.50% while the Company's total leverage ratio exceeds a specific threshold. On September 19, 2017, the Company entered into an amendment to the Global Credit Facility to add a $15.0 million U.S. asset-based credit subfacility (the "U.S. Subfacility"). On October 22, 2018, the Global Credit Facility was further amended to increase the commitment under the U.S. Subfacility to $20.0 million. Commencing on March 31, 2019, quarterly amortization payments on the aggregate principal amount of the U.S. Subfacility are equal to $3.33 million, and these payments may be funded through borrowings under the revolving facilities of the Global Credit Facility. Borrowings repaid under the U.S. Subfacility may not be borrowed again. As at June 27, 2020, $3.33 million remained drawn on the U.S. Subfacility, which was repaid on June 30, 2020. Borrowings under the U.S. Subfacility bear interest based on various reference rates plus a margin based on average borrowing availability for the preceding fiscal quarter, ranging from 2.00% to 2.50% with respect to base rate and prime rate borrowings and from 3.00% to 3.50% for eurocurrency rate and bankers' acceptance rate borrowings. As at June 27, 2020, the weighted-average interest rate on all borrowings under the Global Credit Facility was 2.95%. Obligations under the Global Credit Facility are guaranteed by substantially all of the Company's subsidiaries and, subject to certain exceptions, such obligations are secured by first priority liens on substantially all of the assets of the Company. The Global Credit Facility contains a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, the Company's ability to create liens on assets; sell assets and enter into sale and leaseback transactions; pay dividends, prepay junior lien and unsecured indebtedness and make other restricted payments; incur additional indebtedness and make guarantees; make investments, loans or advances, including acquisitions; and engage in mergers or consolidations. The foregoing covenants are subject to certain threshold amounts and exceptions as set forth in the credit agreement. (2) Borrowings (3) On October 20, 2016, the Company's subsidiary, SunOpta Foods Inc. ("SunOpta Foods"), issued $231.0 million of 9.5% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2022 (the "Notes"). As at June 27, 2020, the outstanding principal amount of the Notes was $223.5 million, reflecting the redemption of $7.5 million principal amount by SunOpta Foods in October 2017. Debt issuance costs are recorded as a reduction against the principal amount of the Notes and are being amortized over the six-year term of the Notes. At any time after October 9, 2019, SunOpta Foods may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 104.750% from October 9, 2019 through October 8, 2020, 102.375% from October 9, 2020 through October 8, 2021 and at par thereafter, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of redemption. Certain additional redemption rights were applicable prior to October 9, 2019. In the event of a change of control, SunOpta Foods will be required to make an offer to repurchase the Notes at 101.000% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase. The Notes are secured by second-priority liens on substantially all of the assets that secure the credit facilities provided under the Global Credit Facility, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens. The Notes are senior secured obligations and rank equally in right of payment with SunOpta Foods' existing and future senior debt and senior in right of payment to any future subordinated debt. The Notes are effectively subordinated to debt under the Global Credit Facility and any future indebtedness secured on a first-priority basis. The Notes are initially guaranteed on a senior secured second-priority basis by the Company and each of its subsidiaries (other than SunOpta Foods) that guarantees indebtedness under the Global Credit Facility, subject to certain exceptions. The Notes are subject to covenants that, among other things, limit the Company's ability to (i) incur additional debt or issue preferred stock; (ii) pay dividends and make certain types of investments and other restricted payments; (iii) create liens; (iv) enter into transactions with affiliates; (v) sell assets; and (vi) create restrictions on the ability of restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends, make loans or advances or transfer assets to the Company, SunOpta Foods or any guarantor of the Notes. The foregoing covenants are subject to certain threshold amounts and exceptions as set forth in the indenture governing the Notes. In addition, the indenture provides for customary events of default (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), which include nonpayment, breach of covenants in the indenture, certain payment defaults or acceleration of other indebtedness, a failure to pay certain judgments and certain events of bankruptcy and insolvency. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee or holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may declare the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on, if any, all the Notes to be due and payable. As at June 27, 2020, the estimated fair value of the outstanding Notes was approximately $224 million, based on quoted prices of the most recent over-the-counter transactions (level 2). (4) Finance lease obligations The Company has commitments under certain master lease agreements that provide for up to approximately $35 million of financing in the aggregate related to the addition of new plant-based beverage and ingredient extraction processing and packaging equipment. As at June 27, 2020, the related finance leases had not commenced, and no amount of right-of-use assets, or lease liabilities, were recognized on the consolidated balance sheet as of that date.

Preferred Stock

Preferred Stock	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Temporary Equity [Abstract]
Preferred Stock [Text Block]	8. Preferred Stock Series A Preferred Stock On October 7, 2016, the Company and SunOpta Foods entered into a subscription agreement (the "Series A Subscription Agreement") with Oaktree Organics, L.P. and Oaktree Huntington Investment Fund II, L.P. (collectively, "Oaktree"). Pursuant to the Series A Subscription Agreement, SunOpta Foods issued an aggregate of 85,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock to Oaktree for consideration in the amount of $85.0 million. In connection with the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Company incurred direct and incremental expenses of $6.0 million, which reduced the carrying value of the Series A Preferred Stock. The carrying value of the Series A Preferred Stock is being accreted through charges to accumulated deficit over the period preceding October 7, 2021. For the quarter and two quarters ended June 27, 2020, these accretion charges amounted to $0.3 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.3 million) and $0.7 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.6 million), respectively. In connection with the Series A Subscription Agreement, the Company agreed to, among other things (i) ensure SunOpta Foods has sufficient funds to pay its obligations under the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock and (ii) grant each holder of Series A Preferred Stock the right to exchange the Series A Preferred Stock for shares of common stock of the Company (the "Common Shares"). The Series A Preferred Stock is non-participating with the Common Shares in dividends and undistributed earnings of the Company. The Series A Preferred Stock had an initial stated value and liquidation preference of $1,000 per share, as adjusted for non-cash dividends declared on the Series A Preferred Stock (the "Series A Liquidation Preference"). Cumulative preferred dividends accrue daily on the Series A Preferred Stock at an annualized rate of 8.0% of the Series A Liquidation Preference prior to October 5, 2025, and 12.5% of the liquidation preference thereafter (subject to an increase of 1.0% per quarter, up to a maximum rate of 5.0% per quarter on the occurrence of certain events of non-compliance). Prior to October 5, 2025, SunOpta Foods may pay dividends in cash or elect, in lieu of paying cash, to add the amount that would have been paid to the Series A Liquidation Preference. After October 5, 2025, the failure to pay dividends in cash will be an event of non-compliance. For quarterly periods prior to the first quarter of 2020, dividends declared on the Series A Preferred Stock were paid in cash by SunOpta Foods. For the first quarter of 2020, SunOpta Foods elected to declare dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock to be paid in kind and, as a result, the aggregate Series A Liquidation Preference increased by $1.7 million to $86.7 million. For the second quarter of 2020, the Company accrued unpaid dividends of $1.7 million on the Series A Preferred Stock, which were recorded in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet as at June 27, 2020. At any time, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock may exchange their shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, into the number of Common Shares equal to, per share of Series A Preferred Stock, the quotient of the Series A Liquidation Preference divided by the Series A exchange price (such price, the "Series A Exchange Price" and such quotients, the "Series A Exchange Rate"). The Series A Exchange Price is subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments, including a weighted-average adjustment for issuances of Common Shares below the Series A Exchange Price, provided that the Series A Exchange Price may not be lower than $7.00 (subject to adjustment in certain circumstances). On April 24, 2020, in connection with the issuance of Series B-1 Preferred Stock pursuant to the Series B Subscription Agreement (see below), the Series A Exchange Price was reduced from $7.50 to $7.00. As at June 27, 2020 and December 28, 2019, the aggregate shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding were exchangeable into 12,385,714 and 11,333,333 Common Shares, respectively. SunOpta Foods may cause the holders of Series A Preferred Stock to exchange all of their shares of Series A Preferred Stock into a number of Common Shares equal to the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding multiplied by the Series A Exchange Rate if (i) fewer than 10% of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued on October 7, 2016 remain outstanding, or (ii) on or after October 7, 2019, the average volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares during the then preceding 20 trading day period is greater than 200% of the Series A Exchange Price then in effect. At any time on or after October 7, 2021, SunOpta Foods may redeem all of the Series A Preferred Stock for an amount per share equal to the value of the Series A Liquidation Preference at such time, plus accrued and unpaid dividends. In connection with the Series A Subscription Agreement, the Company issued 11,333,333 Special Shares, Series 1 to Oaktree, which entitles Oaktree to one vote per Special Share, Series 1 on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of Common Shares, together as a single class, subject to certain exceptions. Additional Special Shares, Series 1 will be issued, or existing Special Shares, Series 1 will be redeemed, as necessary to ensure that the aggregate number of Special Shares, Series 1 outstanding is equal to the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding from time to time multiplied by the Series A Exchange Rate in effect at such time. As at June 27, 2020 and December 28, 2019, 12,385,714 and 11,333,333 Special Shares, Series 1 were issued and outstanding. The Special Shares, Series 1 are not transferable, and the voting rights associated with the Special Shares, Series 1 will terminate upon the transfer of the Series A Preferred Stock to a third party, other than a controlled affiliate of Oaktree. Oaktree is entitled to designate up to two nominees for election to the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") and have the right to designate one individual to attend meetings of the Board as a non-voting observer, subject to Oaktree maintaining certain levels of beneficial ownership of Common Shares on an as-exchanged basis. For so long as Oaktree beneficially owns or controls at least 50% of the Series A Preferred Stock issued on October 7, 2016, including any corresponding Common Shares into which such Series A Preferred Stock are exchanged, Oaktree will be entitled to (i) participation rights with respect to future equity offerings of the Company, and (ii) governance rights, including the right to approve certain actions proposed to be taken by the Company and its subsidiaries. Series B Preferred Stock On April 15, 2020, the Company and SunOpta Foods entered into a subscription agreement (the "Series B Subscription Agreement") with Oaktree and Engaged Capital, LLC, Engaged Capital Flagship Master Fund, LP and Engaged Capital Co-Invest IV-A, LP (collectively, "Engaged"), which contemplated the issuance by SunOpta Foods of shares of exchangeable, voting Series B-1 Preferred Stock and exchangeable, voting Series B-2 Preferred Stock (together with the Series B-1 Preferred Stock, the "Series B Preferred Stock"). The Series B Preferred Stock ranks on par with the Series A Preferred Stock. On April 24, 2020, pursuant to the Series B Subscription Agreement, SunOpta Foods issued 15,000 shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock to each of Oaktree and Engaged for aggregate consideration of $30.0 million and 30,000 shares total. In connection with the issuance of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock, the Company incurred direct and incremental expenses of $3.2 million, which reduced the carrying value of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock. The carrying value of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock is being accreted through charges to accumulated deficit over the period preceding April 24, 2025. For the quarter ended June 27, 2020, this accretion charge amounted to $0.1 million The Series B-1 Preferred Stock has an initial stated value and liquidation preference of $1,000 per share, as adjusted for non-cash dividends declared on the Series B-1 Preferred Stock (the "Series B-1 Liquidation Preference"). Cumulative preferred dividends accrue daily on the Series B-1 Preferred Stock at an annualized rate of 8.0% of the Series B-1 Liquidation Preference prior to September 30, 2029, and 10.0% of the liquidation preference thereafter (subject to an increase of 1.0% per quarter, up to a maximum rate of 5.0% per quarter on the occurrence of certain events of non-compliance). Prior to September 30, 2029, SunOpta Foods may pay dividends in cash or elect, in lieu of paying cash, to add the amount that would have been paid to the Series B-1 Liquidation Preference. The failure to pay dividends in cash for any quarter ending after September 30, 2029 will be an event of non-compliance. For the second quarter of 2020, the Company accrued unpaid dividends of $0.4 million on the Series B-1 Preferred Stock, which were recorded in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet as at June 27, 2020. At any time, the Series B-1 Preferred Stock may be exchanged, in whole or in part, into the number of Common Shares equal to, per share of Series B-1 Preferred Stock, the quotient of the Series B Liquidation Preference divided by $2.50 (such price, the "Series B-1 Exchange Price" and such quotient, the "Series B-1 Exchange Rate"). As at June 27, 2020, the aggregate shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock outstanding were exchangeable into 12,000,000 Common Shares. The Series B-1 Exchange Price is subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments, including a weighted-average adjustment for issuances of Common Shares below the Series B-1 Exchange Price, provided that the Series B-1 Exchange Price may not be lower than $2.00 (subject to adjustment in certain circumstances). SunOpta Foods may cause the holders of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock to exchange all of their shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock into a number of Common Shares equal to the number of shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock outstanding multiplied by the Series B-1 Exchange Rate if (i) fewer than 10% of the shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock issued on April 24, 2020 remain outstanding, or (ii) on or after April 24, 2023, the average volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares during the then preceding 20 trading day period is greater than 200% of the Series B-1 Exchange Price then in effect. At any time, if a holder of Series B Preferred Stock elects to exchange, or SunOpta Foods causes an exchange of Series B Preferred Stock, the number of Common Shares delivered to each applicable holder may not cause such holder's beneficial ownership to exceed 19.99% of the Common Shares that would be outstanding immediately following such exchange (the "Series B Exchange Cap"). At any time on or after April 24, 2025, SunOpta Foods may redeem all of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock for an amount per share equal to the value of the Series B-1 Liquidation Preference at such time, plus accrued and unpaid dividends. Oaktree and Engaged will be entitled to vote the Series B Preferred Stock with the Common Shares on an as-exchanged basis, subject to a permanent 19.99% voting cap. As a result of the voting cap, each of Oaktree and Engaged will only be able to vote its Series B Preferred Stock to the extent that, when taken together with any other voting securities each investor controls, such votes do not exceed 19.99% of the votes eligible to be cast by all security holders of the Company. On April 24, 2020, the Company designated Special Shares, Series 2 to serve as the mechanism for attaching exchanged voting to the Series B Preferred Stock. The Special Shares, Series 2 entitle the holder thereof to one vote per Special Share, Series 2 on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of Common Shares, voting together as a single class, subject to certain exceptions. The Special Shares, Series 2 are not transferrable and the voting rights associated with the Special Shares, Series 2 will terminate upon the transfer of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to a third party, other than an affiliate of Oaktree or Engaged, as applicable. On April 24, 2020, 6,000,000 Special Shares, Series 2 were issued to Engaged, equal to the number of Common Shares issuable to Engaged on the exchange of all of the shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock held by it, and no Special Shares, Series 2 were issued to Oaktree, as Oaktree was subject to the Series B Exchange Cap. Under the terms of the Series B Subscription Agreement, the Company had the right, but not the obligation, to require each of Oaktree and Engaged to purchase its proportionate share of up to 15,000 shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock for aggregate consideration of up to $30.0 million, and up to 30,000 shares total, by giving notice to Oaktree and Engaged on or before July 15, 2020. The exchange price for the Series B-2 Preferred Stock would initially have been that amount which was equal to a 30% premium to the 15-day volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares determined as at the date of notice, provided that such exchange price could not be less than $2.00 or greater than $3.50 per underlying Common Share. The Company elected not to exercise this option, and no shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock have been issued.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation [Text Block]	9. Stock-Based Compensation Short-Term Incentive Plan On April 12, 2020, the Company issued 773,875 Common Shares, net of 368,938 Common Shares withheld for taxes, in connection with the vesting of outstanding performance share units ("PSUs") previously granted to certain employees under the Company's 2019 Short-Term Incentive Plan. On April 22, 2020, the Company granted a total of 1,827,435 PSUs to certain employees of the Company under its 2020 Short-Term Incentive Plan. The vesting of these PSUs is subject to the Company achieving a predetermined measure of adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2020 and subject to each employee's continued employment with the Company through April 22, 2021 (the requisite service period). The weighted-average grant-date fair value of each of these PSUs was estimated to be $2.52 based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the date of grant. Each reporting period, the number of PSUs that are expected to vest is redetermined and the aggregate grant-date fair value of the redetermined number of PSUs is amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining requisite service period less amounts previously recognized. For the quarter ended June 27, 2020, the Company recognized compensation expense of $0.8 million related to the number of these PSUs expected to vest, and the remaining compensation cost related to these PSUs not yet recognized as an expense was determined to be $3.8 million as at June 27, 2020. Subsequent to the end of the second quarter of 2020, on June 30, 2020, the Company granted an additional total of 876,181 PSUs to certain other employees of the Company under the 2020 Short-Term Incentive Plan. The vesting date and conditions of these PSUs are on the same basis as the PSUs above granted on April 22, 2020. The aggregate grant-date fair value of these PSUs was estimated to be $4.1 million based on a closing price of $4.70 for the Common Shares on the date of grant. The compensation cost related to these PSUs will be recognized over the requisite service period through April 22, 2021, based on the number of PSUs that are expected to vest.

Other Expense (Income), Net

Other Expense (Income), Net	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Other Expense (Income), Net [Text Block]	10. Other Expense (Income), Net The components of other expense (income) were as follows: Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Contingent consideration (1) — — (2,286 ) — Product withdrawal and recall costs (2) (322 ) — (322 ) 260 Employee termination and recruitment costs (3) 40 669 610 2,068 Facility closure costs (4) (24 ) 52 365 308 Gain on sale of soy and corn business (see note 3) — 201 — (45,378 ) Settlement gain on project cancellation — (507 ) — (507 ) Other (27 ) 30 2 182 (333 ) 445 (1,631 ) (43,067 ) (1) Contingent consideration For the two quarters ended June 27, 2020, income represents a gain on the settlement of the final contingent consideration obligation payable under an earn-out arrangement with the former unitholders of Citrusource, LLC, which was acquired by the Company in March 2015. On May 5, 2020, the parties agreed to settle the obligation for an amount of $2.0 million, of which $1.0 million was paid at the time of settlement and the remainder is being paid over the subsequent 10 months. As at June 27, 2020, the remaining $0.9 million obligation (December 28, 2019 - $4.3 million) was recorded in the current portion of long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. (2) Product withdrawal and recall costs For the quarter and two quarters ended June 27, 2020, income represents the reversal of previously accrued costs related to a withdrawal of certain consumer-packaged products. These costs were recognized in other expense in 2016. For the two quarters ended June 29, 2019, expense represents product withdrawal and recall costs that were not eligible for reimbursement under the Company's insurance policies or exceeded the limits of those policies, including certain costs related to the voluntary recall of certain roasted sunflower kernel products initiated by the Company in 2016. (3) Employee termination and recruitment costs For the quarter and two quarters ended June 27, 2020, expense represents severance benefits of $0.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively, for employees terminated in connection with the consolidation of the Company's corporate office functions and other headcount reductions under the Value Creation Plan, net of the reversal of $0.4 million and $0.9 million, respectively, of previously recognized stock-based compensation expense related to forfeited awards previously granted to terminated employees. For the quarter ended June 29, 2019, expense represents severance benefits of $0.7 million for employees terminated in connection with the Value Creation Plan, and, for the two quarters ended June 29, 2019, expense represents severance benefits of $3.5 million for employees terminated in connection with the Value Creation Plan, including the Company's former CEO, net of the reversal of $2.1 million of previously recognized stock-based compensation expense related to forfeited awards previously granted to those employees. In addition, expenses include recruitment costs related to the Company's CEO transition. (4) Facility closure costs For the quarter and two quarters ended June 27, 2020, expense relates to the costs to close an organic ingredient warehousing facility located in China. For the quarter and two quarters ended June 29, 2019, expense includes the costs to dismantle and move equipment from a former soy extraction facility located in Heuvelton, New York, which was sold in April 2019.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Earnings (Loss) Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	11. Earnings (Loss) Per Share Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share were calculated as follows (shares in thousands): Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Share Numerator for basic earnings (loss) per share Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ 1,007 $ (9,055 ) $ 4,368 $ 16,594 Less: dividends and accretion on Series A Preferred Stock (2,066 ) (2,001 ) (4,091 ) (3,996 ) Less: dividends and accretion on Series B Preferred Stock (538 ) — (538 ) — Earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders $ (1,597 ) $ (11,056 ) $ (261 ) $ 12,598 Denominator for basic earnings (loss) per share Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 89,089 87,683 88,625 87,579 Basic earnings (loss) per share $ (0.02 ) $ (0.13 ) $ (0.00 ) $ 0.14 Diluted Earnings Per Share Numerator for diluted earnings (loss) per share Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ 1,007 $ (9,055 ) $ 4,368 $ 16,594 Less: dividends and accretion on Series A Preferred Stock (2,066 ) (2,001 ) (4,091 ) (3,996 ) Less: dividends and accretion on Series B Preferred Stock (538 ) — (538 ) — Earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders $ (1,597 ) $ (11,056 ) $ (261 ) $ 12,598 Denominator for diluted earnings (loss) per share Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 89,089 87,683 88,625 87,579 Dilutive effect of the following: Stock options and restricted stock units (1) — — — 164 Series B Preferred Stock (2) — — — — Series A Preferred Stock (3) — — — — Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 89,089 87,683 88,625 87,743 Diluted earnings (loss) per share $ (0.02 ) $ (0.13 ) $ (0.00 ) $ 0.14 (1) (2) (3)

Supplemental Cash Flow Informat

Supplemental Cash Flow Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Text Block]	12. Supplemental Cash Flow Information Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Changes in Non-Cash Working Capital, Net of Businesses Acquired or Sold Accounts receivable 25,729 1,525 (2,977 ) 5,736 Inventories (44,703 ) (45,868 ) 5,246 (30,221 ) Income tax recoverable/payable (3,911 ) (2,819 ) 2,158 (848 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 7,508 (3,350 ) 7,177 (7,971 ) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 4,445 19,348 (3,480 ) 6,841 Customer and other deposits (1,469 ) (825 ) 129 (725 ) (12,401 ) (31,989 ) 8,253 (27,188 ) Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities Operating leases 116 — 193 — Accrued dividends on preferred stock 2,181 1,700 2,181 1,700 Dividend paid in kind on preferred stock 1,700 — 1,700 —

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies [Text Block]	13. Commitments and Contingencies Product Recall On November 20, 2017, Treehouse Foods, Inc., several of its related entities, and its insurer filed a lawsuit against the Company in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, titled TreeHouse Foods, Inc. et al. ("TreeHouse") v. SunOpta Grains and Food, Inc. The Company was served with the Summons and Complaint on January 24, 2018. After the Company removed the case to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint on April 23, 2018, and a second Amended Complaint on October 12, 2018. The plaintiffs alleged economic damages resulting from the Company's 2016 voluntary recall of certain roasted sunflower kernel products due to the potential for listeria monocytogenes contamination. The plaintiffs brought claims for breach of contract, express and implied warranties and product guarantees, negligence, strict liability, negligent misrepresentation, and indemnity seeking $16.2 million in damages. There are no allegations of personal injury. On March 29, 2019, the court dismissed the plaintiffs' claims for negligence, strict liability, negligent misrepresentation, and common law indemnity. On May 31, 2020, the court granted summary judgment to SunOpta on TreeHouse's claims for breach of contract and breach of product guarantees, but denied summary judgment on TreeHouse's claims for breach of express and implied warranties. On the remaining claims, the court limited TreeHouse's damages to the purchase price of the product SunOpta sold to TreeHouse. The Company is vigorously defending itself against the remaining contract and warranty-based claims. The Company cannot reasonably predict the outcome of this claim, nor can it estimate the amount of loss, or range of loss, if any, that may result from this claim. Other Claims In addition, various claims and potential claims arising in the normal course of business are pending against the Company. It is the opinion of management that these claims or potential claims are without merit and the amount of potential liability, if any, to the Company is not determinable. Management believes the final determination of these claims or potential claims will not materially affect the financial position or results of the Company.

Segmented Information

Segmented Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segmented Information [Text Block]	14. Segmented Information Effective the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company implemented changes to its organization and leadership structure to align with the operational and strategic objectives established by the Company's CEO. As a result, the Company established two new segments - a Plant-Based Foods and Beverages segment and a Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages segment - based on the synergistic nature of the underlying principal product ingredients. In addition, the Company realigned the Global Ingredients segment to combine its international organic ingredients operations and its co-manufactured premium juice program, based on shared raw material sourcing. Each segment has dedicated management, sales, marketing, plant operations, product development and business support teams, with full accountability to the CEO. With these changes, the composition of the Company's three operating segments is as follows: Global Ingredients includes the sourcing and sale of organic and non-GMO ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, oils, fats, coffee, nuts, dried fruits, sugars, liquid sweeteners, seeds, grains, rice and pulses, and the processing of value-added ingredients including cocoa liquor, butter and powder, sunflower kernel, oil and cakes, sesame seeds, and avocado oil. In addition, it includes third-party co-manufacturing arrangements to produce consumer-packaged premium juice products (including private label orange juices, lemonades, and functional waters), utilizing internally-sourced raw materials. It also included the operations of the soy and corn business that was sold in 2019. Plant-Based Foods and Beverages includes plant-based beverages and liquid and dry ingredients (utilizing almond, soy, coconut, oat, hemp, and other bases), as well as broths, teas and nutritional beverages. In addition, it includes packaged dry- and oil-roasted inshell sunflower and sunflower kernels, as well as corn-, soy- and legume-based roasted snacks, and the processing and sale of raw sunflower inshell and kernel for food and feed applications. Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages includes individually quick frozen ("IQF") fruit for retail (including strawberries, blueberries, mango, pineapple, blends, and other berries), IQF and bulk frozen fruit for foodservice (including purées, fruit cups and smoothies), and custom fruit preparations for industrial use. In addition, it includes fruit snacks, including bars, twists, ropes and bite-sized varieties. Corporate Services provides a variety of management, financial, information technology, treasury and administration services to each of the Company's operating segments. When reviewing the operating results of the Company's operating segments, management uses segment revenues from external customers and segment operating income/loss to assess performance and allocate resources. Segment operating income/loss excludes other income/expense items. In addition, interest expense and income taxes are not allocated to the operating segments. Segment Revenues and Operating Income Reportable segment operating results for the quarters and two quarters ended June 27, 2020 and June 29, 2019 were as follows: Quarter ended June 27, 2020 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 126,543 91,705 92,696 310,944 Segment operating income (loss) 8,038 10,484 (2,016 ) 16,506 Corporate Services (7,674 ) Other income, net (see note 10) 333 Interest expense, net (7,936 ) Earnings before income taxes 1,229 Quarter ended June 29, 2019 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 120,892 81,940 90,172 293,004 Segment operating income (loss) 3,667 4,496 (5,960 ) 2,203 Corporate Services (4,740 ) Other expense, net (see note 10) (445 ) Interest expense, net (8,254 ) Loss before income taxes (11,236 ) Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 254,895 197,947 194,051 646,893 Segment operating income (loss) 16,152 24,337 (6,718 ) 33,771 Corporate Services (13,480 ) Other income, net (see note 10) 1,631 Interest expense, net (16,216 ) Earnings before income taxes 5,706 Two quarters ended June 29, 2019 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 255,734 163,216 179,329 598,279 Segment operating income (loss) 10,210 7,024 (11,565 ) 5,669 Corporate Services (7,886 ) Other income, net (see note 10) 43,067 Interest expense, net (16,993 ) Earnings before income taxes 23,857 Segment Depreciation and Amortization Depreciation and amortization by reportable segment for the quarters and two quarters ended June 27, 2020 and June 29, 2019 was as follows: Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Global Ingredients 1,096 1,337 2,293 2,806 Plant-Based Foods and Beverages 2,380 1,526 4,748 3,003 Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages 4,110 4,166 8,246 8,394 Total segment depreciation and amortization 7,586 7,029 15,287 14,203 Corporate Services 1,165 1,157 2,386 2,285 Total depreciation and amortization 8,751 8,186 17,673 16,488

Significant Accounting Polici_2

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	Basis of Presentation These interim consolidated financial statements of SunOpta Inc. (the "Company" or "SunOpta") have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information. Accordingly, these condensed interim consolidated financial statements do not include all of the disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for fair presentation have been included and all such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Operating results for the quarter and two quarters ended June 27, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full fiscal year ending January 2, 2021 or for any other period. The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, and have been prepared on a basis consistent with the annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 28, 2019. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2019. As described in note 14, in the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company changed its segment reporting to reflect changes to its operating structure. All segment information presented in these consolidated financial statements for the quarter and two quarters ended June 29, 2019 has been restated to reflect the new segment reporting structure.
Fiscal Year [Policy Text Block]	Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the Company consists o 3-week period ending on the Saturday closest to December 31.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Policy Text Block]	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Effective the first quarter of 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-13, "Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments," which requires the immediate recognition of expected versus incurred credit losses for most financial assets. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 under the modified retrospective approach and applied the new guidance to its short-term accounts receivable. The adoption of this new guidance did not result in the recognition of additional allowances for credit losses. The Company closely monitors receivable balances and estimates the allowance for credit losses based on historical collection experience, and account aging analysis and trends. The Company evaluates the adequacy of the allowance each reporting period, considering individual customer account reviews, write-offs recorded in the period, sales forecasts and trends, and current and expected economic conditions.

Revenue (Tables)

Revenue (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Schedule of disaggregation of revenue [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Global Ingredients Organic and non-GMO ingredients 103,674 101,938 209,916 207,822 Premium juice 22,869 18,954 44,979 37,566 Soy and corn (see note 3) — — — 10,346 Total Global Ingredients 126,543 120,892 254,895 255,734 Plant-Based Foods and Beverages Beverages and broths 68,451 61,036 155,221 125,818 Plant-based ingredients 6,284 5,835 12,196 10,517 Sunflower and roasted snacks 16,970 15,069 30,530 26,881 Total Plant-Based Foods and Beverages 91,705 81,940 197,947 163,216 Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages Frozen fruit 75,079 65,952 150,286 131,144 Fruit-based ingredients 7,946 12,770 19,838 24,256 Fruit snacks 9,671 11,450 23,927 23,929 Total Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages 92,696 90,172 194,051 179,329 Total revenues 310,944 293,004 646,893 598,279

Value Creation Plan (Tables)

Value Creation Plan (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Schedule Of Restructuring And Related Costs [Table Text Block]	Employee Asset recruitment, impairments retention and and facility termination Professional closure costs costs fees Total $ $ $ $ June 27, 2020 Balance payable, December 28, 2019 (1) 201 4,026 — 4,227 Costs incurred and charged to expense 365 1,320 789 2,474 Cash payments, net (387 ) (2,175 ) (789 ) (3,351 ) Non-cash adjustments (78 ) 894 — 816 Balance payable, June 27, 2020 (1) 101 4,065 — 4,166 June 29, 2019 Balance payable, December 29, 2018 477 436 — 913 Costs incurred and charged to expense 308 2,947 278 3,533 Cash payments, net (483 ) (3,886 ) (278 ) (4,647 ) Non-cash adjustments — 2,102 — 2,102 Balance payable, June 29, 2019 302 1,599 — 1,901 (1) Balance payable was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. The following table summarizes costs incurred since the inception of the Value Creation Plan in 2016 to June 27, 2020: Employee Asset recruitment, Professional impairments retention and fees and and facility termination temporary closure costs costs labor costs Total $ $ $ $ Costs incurred and charged to expense 35,325 24,289 23,121 82,735 Cash payments, net (10,649 ) (25,672 ) (23,121 ) (59,442 ) Non-cash adjustments (24,575 ) 5,448 — (19,127 ) Balance payable, June 27, 2020 101 4,065 — 4,166 For the quarters and two quarters ended June 27, 2020 and June 29, 2019, costs incurred and charged to expense were recorded in the consolidated statement of operations as follows: Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Selling, general and administrative expenses (1) 463 954 1,499 1,157 Other expense (2) 16 721 975 2,376 479 1,675 2,474 3,533 (1) Professional fees and employee retention, recruitment and relocation costs recorded in selling general and administrative expenses were allocated to Corporate Services. (2) For the quarter ended June 27, 2020, costs recorded in other expense were allocated as follows: Global Ingredients - $0.4 million (June 29, 2019 - $nil ); Plant-Based Foods and Beverages - $nil (June 29, 2019 - $0.1 million); Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages - $(0.2) million (June 29, 2019 - $0.5 million); and Corporate Services - $(0.2) million (June 29, 2019 - $0.2 million). For the two quarters ended June 27, 2020, costs recorded in other expense were allocated as follows: Global Ingredients - $0.8 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.0 million); Plant-Based Foods and Beverages - $0.0 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.5 million); Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages - $0.8 million (June 29, 2019 - $0.8 million); and Corporate Services - $(0.6) million (June 29, 2019 - $1.1 million).

Derivative Financial Instrume_2

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]	June 27, 2020 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ Commodity futures contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 134 134 — — Forward foreign currency contracts (2) Not designated as hedging instruments (70 ) — ( 70 ) — December 28, 2019 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ Commodity futures contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 284 284 — — Forward foreign currency contracts (2) Not designated as hedging instruments (73 ) — (73 ) —

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]	June 27, 2020 December 28, 2019 $ $ Raw materials and work-in-process 255,863 259,658 Finished goods 74,468 75,112 Inventory reserves (12,329 ) (11,224 ) 318,002 323,546

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Te_2

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Line of Credit Facilities [Table Text Block]	June 27, 2020 December 28, 2019 $ $ Bank Indebtedness Global Credit Facility (1) 202,263 241,666 Bulgarian credit facility (2) 2,589 3,870 204,852 245,536 Long-Term Debt Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs (3) 219,148 218,404 Finance lease liabilities (4) 15,143 16,223 Asset-backed term loan 4,151 4,386 Other 5,619 6,178 244,061 245,191 Less: current portion 3,276 2,987 240,785 242,204

Other Expense (Income), Net (Ta

Other Expense (Income), Net (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income (Expense) [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Contingent consideration (1) — — (2,286 ) — Product withdrawal and recall costs (2) (322 ) — (322 ) 260 Employee termination and recruitment costs (3) 40 669 610 2,068 Facility closure costs (4) (24 ) 52 365 308 Gain on sale of soy and corn business (see note 3) — 201 — (45,378 ) Settlement gain on project cancellation — (507 ) — (507 ) Other (27 ) 30 2 182 (333 ) 445 (1,631 ) (43,067 )

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Tabl

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Share Numerator for basic earnings (loss) per share Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ 1,007 $ (9,055 ) $ 4,368 $ 16,594 Less: dividends and accretion on Series A Preferred Stock (2,066 ) (2,001 ) (4,091 ) (3,996 ) Less: dividends and accretion on Series B Preferred Stock (538 ) — (538 ) — Earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders $ (1,597 ) $ (11,056 ) $ (261 ) $ 12,598 Denominator for basic earnings (loss) per share Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 89,089 87,683 88,625 87,579 Basic earnings (loss) per share $ (0.02 ) $ (0.13 ) $ (0.00 ) $ 0.14 Diluted Earnings Per Share Numerator for diluted earnings (loss) per share Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ 1,007 $ (9,055 ) $ 4,368 $ 16,594 Less: dividends and accretion on Series A Preferred Stock (2,066 ) (2,001 ) (4,091 ) (3,996 ) Less: dividends and accretion on Series B Preferred Stock (538 ) — (538 ) — Earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders $ (1,597 ) $ (11,056 ) $ (261 ) $ 12,598 Denominator for diluted earnings (loss) per share Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 89,089 87,683 88,625 87,579 Dilutive effect of the following: Stock options and restricted stock units (1) — — — 164 Series B Preferred Stock (2) — — — — Series A Preferred Stock (3) — — — — Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 89,089 87,683 88,625 87,743 Diluted earnings (loss) per share $ (0.02 ) $ (0.13 ) $ (0.00 ) $ 0.14

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_2

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Schedule of Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Changes in Non-Cash Working Capital, Net of Businesses Acquired or Sold Accounts receivable 25,729 1,525 (2,977 ) 5,736 Inventories (44,703 ) (45,868 ) 5,246 (30,221 ) Income tax recoverable/payable (3,911 ) (2,819 ) 2,158 (848 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 7,508 (3,350 ) 7,177 (7,971 ) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 4,445 19,348 (3,480 ) 6,841 Customer and other deposits (1,469 ) (825 ) 129 (725 ) (12,401 ) (31,989 ) 8,253 (27,188 ) Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities Operating leases 116 — 193 — Accrued dividends on preferred stock 2,181 1,700 2,181 1,700 Dividend paid in kind on preferred stock 1,700 — 1,700 —

Segmented Information (Tables)

Segmented Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended June 27, 2020 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 126,543 91,705 92,696 310,944 Segment operating income (loss) 8,038 10,484 (2,016 ) 16,506 Corporate Services (7,674 ) Other income, net (see note 10) 333 Interest expense, net (7,936 ) Earnings before income taxes 1,229 Quarter ended June 29, 2019 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 120,892 81,940 90,172 293,004 Segment operating income (loss) 3,667 4,496 (5,960 ) 2,203 Corporate Services (4,740 ) Other expense, net (see note 10) (445 ) Interest expense, net (8,254 ) Loss before income taxes (11,236 ) Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 254,895 197,947 194,051 646,893 Segment operating income (loss) 16,152 24,337 (6,718 ) 33,771 Corporate Services (13,480 ) Other income, net (see note 10) 1,631 Interest expense, net (16,216 ) Earnings before income taxes 5,706 Two quarters ended June 29, 2019 Plant-Based Fruit-Based Global Foods and Foods and Ingredients Beverages Beverages Consolidated $ $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 255,734 163,216 179,329 598,279 Segment operating income (loss) 10,210 7,024 (11,565 ) 5,669 Corporate Services (7,886 ) Other income, net (see note 10) 43,067 Interest expense, net (16,993 ) Earnings before income taxes 23,857
Schedule of Segment Depreciation and Amortization [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended Two quarters ended June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 June 27, 2020 June 29, 2019 $ $ $ $ Global Ingredients 1,096 1,337 2,293 2,806 Plant-Based Foods and Beverages 2,380 1,526 4,748 3,003 Fruit-Based Foods and Beverages 4,110 4,166 8,246 8,394 Total segment depreciation and amortization 7,586 7,029 15,287 14,203 Corporate Services 1,165 1,157 2,386 2,285 Total depreciation and amortization 8,751 8,186 17,673 16,488

Significant Accounting Polici_3

Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Operating Cycle	371 days
Operating cycle of company	The fiscal year of the Company consists of a 52- or 53-week period ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Fiscal year 2020 is a 53-week period ending on January 2, 2021, with quarterly periods ending on March 28, June 27 and September 26, 2020. Fiscal year 2019 was a 52-week period ending on December 28, 2019, with quarterly periods ending on March 30, June 29 and September 28, 2019.

Sale of Soy and Corn Business (

Sale of Soy and Corn Business (Narrative) (Details) - Sunopta Grains And Foods Inc [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Feb. 22, 2019	Jun. 29, 2019
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of business	$ 66.5
Other income		$ 45.4
Revenue	10.3
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	$ (0.2)

Value Creation Plan (Narrative)

Value Creation Plan (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Global Ingredients [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Other expense	$ 400		$ 800	$ 0
Plant-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Other expense		100	0	500
Fruit-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Other expense	(200)	500	800	800
Corporate Services [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Other expense	$ (200)	$ 200	$ (600)	$ 1,100

Derivative Financial Instrume_3

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions, £ in Millions, SFr in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020USD ($)	Jun. 29, 2019USD ($)	Jun. 27, 2020USD ($)T	Jun. 29, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2019T	Jun. 27, 2020CHF (SFr)	Jun. 27, 2020EUR (€)	Jun. 27, 2020GBP (£)	Jun. 27, 2020USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2020USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized loss on derivative contracts	$ 406	$ 400	$ (150)	$ 288
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Forward Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Net	(200)	(400)	$ 0	(400)
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Foreign currency put and call option contracts (a zero-cost collar) [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount									$ 11,500	$ 21,500
Collar ceiling rate of Mexican pesos to US dollar										25.23
Floor rate of Mexican pesos to US dollar										23.50
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Cocoa [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount | T			2,160		3,210
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Coffee [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount | T			85		306
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Recurring basis [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized loss on derivative contracts	$ 400	$ 400	$ (200)	$ 300
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts To Sell Swiss francs To Buy U. S. Dollars [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount						SFr 3.8			4,000
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts To Sell Euros To Buy U.S. Dollars [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount							€ 18.2		$ 20,400
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Recurring basis [Member] | Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts To Sell British Pounds To Buy Euros [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount							€ 0.5	£ 0.4

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Te_3

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions	1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Oct. 22, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 19, 2017USD ($)	Jun. 27, 2020USD ($)	Jun. 27, 2020EUR (€)	Jun. 27, 2020USD ($)	Oct. 20, 2016USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Lessee, Finance Lease, Lease Not yet Commenced, Description			The Company has commitments under certain master lease agreements that provide for up to approximately $35 million of financing in the aggregate related to the addition of new plant-based beverage and ingredient extraction processing and packaging equipment.  As at June 27, 2020, the related finance leases had not commenced, and no amount of right-of-use assets, or lease liabilities, were recognized on the consolidated balance sheet as of that date.
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Initiation Date			Feb. 11, 2016
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					$ 350,000
Line of Credit Facility, Description			On February 11, 2016, the Company entered into a five-year credit agreement for a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million, subject to borrowing base capacity (the "Global Credit Facility"). The Global Credit Facility is used to support the working capital and general corporate needs of the Company's global operations, in addition to funding future strategic initiatives.  The Global Credit Facility also includes borrowing capacity available for letters of credit and provides for borrowings on same-day notice, including in the form of swingline loans. On January 28, 2020, the credit agreement was amended to, among other things, extend the maturity date of the Global Credit Facility to March 31, 2022.Individual borrowings under the Global Credit Facility have terms of six months or less and bear interest based on various reference rates plus an applicable margin. The margin ranges from 0.25% to 0.75% with respect to base rate and prime rate borrowings and from 1.25% to 1.75% for eurocurrency rate and bankers' acceptance rate borrowings. In connection with the amendment of the credit agreement on January 28, 2020, the applicable margin rate on any loans under the Global Credit Facility (including the U.S. Subfacility, as described below) is increased by an additional 0.50% while the Company's total leverage ratio exceeds a specific threshold.
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date			Mar. 31, 2022
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period			0.25%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period			0.75%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Prime Rate [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period			1.25%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Prime Rate [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period			1.75%
US Subfacility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 20,000
Line of Credit Facility, Description			On September 19, 2017, the Company entered into an amendment to the Global Credit Facility to add a $15.0 million U.S. asset-based credit subfacility (the "U.S. Subfacility").
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net		$ 15,000
Line of Credit Facility, Date of First Required Payment	Mar. 31, 2019
Line of Credit Facility, Periodic Payment, Principal		$ 3,330
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description			Borrowings under the U.S. Subfacility bear interest based on various reference rates plus a margin based on average borrowing availability for the preceding fiscal quarter, ranging from 2.00% to 2.50% with respect to base rate and prime rate borrowings and from 3.00% to 3.50% for eurocurrency rate and bankers' acceptance rate borrowings.
Drawdown credit facility					$ 3,330
US Subfacility [Member] | Base Rate And Prime Rate [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				2.00%	2.00%
US Subfacility [Member] | Base Rate And Prime Rate [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				2.50%	2.50%
US Subfacility [Member] | Eurocurrency Rate And Bankers Acceptance Rate [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				3.00%	3.00%
US Subfacility [Member] | Eurocurrency Rate And Bankers Acceptance Rate [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				3.50%	3.50%
Global Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate				2.95%	2.95%
Bulgarian Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity | €				€ 6
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period			2.75%
Senior Secured Second Lien Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						9.50%
Debt Instrument, Description			On October 20, 2016, the Company's subsidiary, SunOpta Foods Inc. ("SunOpta Foods"), issued $231.0 million of 9.5% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2022 (the "Notes").
Debt Instrument, Issuance Date			Oct. 20, 2016
Debt Instrument, Face Amount					$ 223,500	$ 231,000
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Amount			$ 7,500
Debt Instrument, Frequency of Periodic Payment			Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 at a rate of 9.5% per annum.
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date			Oct. 9, 2022
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Description			At any time after October 9, 2019, SunOpta Foods may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 104.750% from October 9, 2019 through October 8, 2020, 102.375% from October 9, 2020 through October 8, 2021 and at par thereafter, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of redemption.  Certain additional redemption rights were applicable prior to October 9, 2019.  In the event of a change of control, SunOpta Foods will be required to make an offer to repurchase the Notes at 101.000% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.The Notes are secured by second-priority liens on substantially all of the assets that secure the credit facilities provided under the Global Credit Facility, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens.  The Notes are senior secured obligations and rank equally in right of payment with SunOpta Foods' existing and future senior debt and senior in right of payment to any future subordinated debt. The Notes are effectively subordinated to debt under the Global Credit Facility and any future indebtedness secured on a first-priority basis.  The Notes are initially guaranteed on a senior secured second-priority basis by the Company and each of its subsidiaries (other than SunOpta Foods) that guarantees indebtedness under the Global Credit Facility, subject to certain exceptions.The Notes are subject to covenants that, among other things, limit the Company's ability to (i) incur additional debt or issue preferred stock; (ii) pay dividends and make certain types of investments and other restricted payments; (iii) create liens; (iv) enter into transactions with affiliates; (v) sell assets; and (vi) create restrictions on the ability of restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends, make loans or advances or transfer assets to the Company, SunOpta Foods or any guarantor of the Notes.  The foregoing covenants are subject to certain threshold amounts and exceptions as set forth in the indenture governing the Notes.  In addition, the indenture provides for customary events of default (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), which include nonpayment, breach of covenants in the indenture, certain payment defaults or acceleration of other indebtedness, a failure to pay certain judgments and certain events of bankruptcy and insolvency.  If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee or holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may declare the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on, if any, all the Notes to be due and payable.As at June 27, 2020, the estimated fair value of the outstanding Notes was approximately $224 million, based on quoted prices of the most recent over-the-counter transactions (level 2).
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage				10.40%	10.40%
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding					$ 224,000
Senior Secured Second Lien Notes [Member] | from October 9, 2019 through October 8, 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage			104.75%
Senior Secured Second Lien Notes [Member] | from October 9, 2020 through October 8, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage			102.375%

Preferred Stock (Narrative) (De

Preferred Stock (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Temporary Equity [Line Items]
Preferred stock accretion to redemption value	$ 423		$ 301	$ 748	$ 596
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Paid-in-kind	$ 1,700		0	$ 1,700	0
Series A Preferred Stock [Member] | Oaktree Organics, L.P. and Oaktree Huntington Investment Fund II, L.P.
Temporary Equity [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued	85,000			85,000
Preferred Stock, Value, Issued	$ 85,000			$ 85,000
Preferred Stock Issuance Costs	6,000			6,000
Preferred stock accretion to redemption value	$ 300		$ 300	$ 700	$ 600
Preferred Stock, Dividend Preference or Restrictions				In connection with the Series A Subscription Agreement, the Company agreed to, among other things (i) ensure SunOpta Foods has sufficient funds to pay its obligations under the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock and (ii) grant each holder of Series A Preferred Stock the right to exchange the Series A Preferred Stock for shares of common stock of the Company (the "Common Shares").  The Series A Preferred Stock is non-participating with the Common Shares in dividends and undistributed earnings of the Company.
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference Per Share	$ 1,000			$ 1,000
Preferred Stock Annualized Rate				8.00%
Preferred Stock, Dividend Payment Terms				Cumulative preferred dividends accrue daily on the Series A Preferred Stock at an annualized rate of 8.0% of the Series A Liquidation Preference prior to October 5, 2025, and 12.5% of the liquidation preference thereafter (subject to an increase of 1.0% per quarter, up to a maximum rate of 5.0% per quarter on the occurrence of certain events of non-compliance).  Prior to October 5, 2025, SunOpta Foods may pay dividends in cash or elect, in lieu of paying cash, to add the amount that would have been paid to the Series A Liquidation Preference.  After October 5, 2025, the failure to pay dividends in cash will be an event of non-compliance.
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Paid-in-kind	$ 1,700	$ 1,700
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference, Value	$ 86,700			$ 86,700
Convertible Preferred Stock, Terms of Conversion				At any time, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock may exchange their shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, into the number of Common Shares equal to, per share of Series A Preferred Stock, the quotient of the Series A Liquidation Preference divided by the Series A exchange price (such price, the "Series A Exchange Price" and such quotients, the "Series A Exchange Rate"). The Series A Exchange Price is subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments, including a weighted-average adjustment for issuances of Common Shares below the Series A Exchange Price, provided that the Series A Exchange Price may not be lower than $7.00 (subject to adjustment in certain circumstances). On April 24, 2020, in connection with the issuance of Series B-1 Preferred Stock pursuant to the Series B Subscription Agreement (see below), the Series A Exchange Price was reduced from $7.50 to $7.00. As at June 27, 2020 and December 28, 2019, the aggregate shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding were exchangeable into 12,385,714 and 11,333,333 Common Shares, respectively.
Preferred Stock, Voting Rights				In connection with the Series A Subscription Agreement, the Company issued 11,333,333 Special Shares, Series 1 to Oaktree, which entitles Oaktree to one vote per Special Share, Series 1 on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of Common Shares, together as a single class, subject to certain exceptions. Additional Special Shares, Series 1 will be issued, or existing Special Shares, Series 1 will be redeemed, as necessary to ensure that the aggregate number of Special Shares, Series 1 outstanding is equal to the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding from time to time multiplied by the Series A Exchange Rate in effect at such time.
Preferred Stock, Participation Rights				For so long as Oaktree beneficially owns or controls at least 50% of the Series A Preferred Stock issued on October 7, 2016, including any corresponding Common Shares into which such Series A Preferred Stock are exchanged, Oaktree will be entitled to (i) participation rights with respect to future equity offerings of the Company, and (ii) governance rights, including the right to approve certain actions proposed to be taken by the Company and its subsidiaries.
Special Voting Shares, issued and outstanding	11,333,333			11,333,333
Series B-1 Preferred Stock [Member] | Stock issued to each recipient [Member]
Temporary Equity [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued	15,000			15,000
Series B-1 Preferred Stock [Member] | Oaktree and Engaged [Member]
Temporary Equity [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued	30,000			30,000
Preferred Stock, Value, Issued	$ 30,000			$ 30,000
Preferred Stock Issuance Costs	3,200			$ 3,200
Preferred stock accretion to redemption value	$ 100
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference Per Share	$ 1,000			$ 1,000
Preferred Stock Annualized Rate				8.00%
Preferred Stock, Dividend Payment Terms				Cumulative preferred dividends accrue daily on the Series B-1 Preferred Stock at an annualized rate of 8.0% of the Series B-1 Liquidation Preference prior to September 30, 2029, and 10.0% of the liquidation preference thereafter (subject to an increase of 1.0% per quarter, up to a maximum rate of 5.0% per quarter on the occurrence of certain events of non-compliance).
Accrued Unpaid Dividends	$ 400
Convertible Preferred Stock, Terms of Conversion				At any time, the Series B-1 Preferred Stock may be exchanged, in whole or in part, into the number of Common Shares equal to, per share of Series B-1 Preferred Stock, the quotient of the Series B Liquidation Preference divided by $2.50 (such price, the "Series B-1 Exchange Price" and such quotient, the "Series B-1 Exchange Rate").
Convertible Preferred Stock, Settlement Terms				SunOpta Foods may cause the holders of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock to exchange all of their shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock into a number of Common Shares equal to the number of shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock outstanding multiplied by the Series B-1 Exchange Rate if (i) fewer than 10% of the shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock issued on April 24, 2020 remain outstanding, or (ii) on or after April 24, 2023, the average volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares during the then preceding 20 trading day period is greater than 200% of the Series B-1 Exchange Price then in effect. At any time, if a holder of Series B Preferred Stock elects to exchange, or SunOpta Foods causes an exchange of Series B Preferred Stock, the number of Common Shares delivered to each applicable holder may not cause such holder's beneficial ownership to exceed 19.99% of the Common Shares that would be outstanding immediately following such exchange (the "Series B Exchange Cap").
Number of common shares available due to exchangeable preferred stock	12,000,000			12,000,000
Preferred stock exchange, description of exchange price				The Series B-1 Exchange Price is subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments, including a weighted-average adjustment for issuances of Common Shares below the Series B-1 Exchange Price, provided that the Series B-1 Exchange Price may not be lower than $2.00 (subject to adjustment in certain circumstances).
Series B Preferred Stock [Member] | Oaktree and Engaged [Member]
Temporary Equity [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Terms of Conversion				Oaktree and Engaged will be entitled to vote the Series B Preferred Stock with the Common Shares on an as-exchanged basis, subject to a permanent 19.99% voting cap. As a result of the voting cap, each of Oaktree and Engaged will only be able to vote its Series B Preferred Stock to the extent that, when taken together with any other voting securities each investor controls, such votes do not exceed 19.99% of the votes eligible to be cast by all security holders of the Company.  On April 24, 2020, the Company designated Special Shares, Series 2 to serve as the mechanism for attaching exchanged voting to the Series B Preferred Stock.  The Special Shares, Series 2 entitle the holder thereof to one vote per Special Share, Series 2 on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of Common Shares, voting together as a single class, subject to certain exceptions.  The Special Shares, Series 2 are not transferrable and the voting rights associated with the Special Shares, Series 2 will terminate upon the transfer of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to a third party, other than an affiliate of Oaktree or Engaged, as applicable.  On April 24, 2020, 6,000,000 Special Shares, Series 2 were issued to Engaged, equal to the number of Common Shares issuable to Engaged on the exchange of all of the shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock held by it, and no Special Shares, Series 2 were issued to Oaktree, as Oaktree was subject to the Series B Exchange Cap.Under the terms of the Series B Subscription Agreement, the Company had the right, but not the obligation, to require each of Oaktree and Engaged to purchase its proportionate share of up to 15,000 shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock for aggregate consideration of up to $30.0 million, and up to 30,000 shares total, by giving notice to Oaktree and Engaged on or before July 15, 2020.  The exchange price for the Series B-2 Preferred Stock would initially have been that amount which was equal to a 30% premium to the 15-day volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares determined as at the date of notice, provided that such exchange price could not be less than $2.00 or greater than $3.50 per underlying Common Share.  The Company elected not to exercise this option, and no shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock have been issued.

Stock-Based Compensation (Narra

Stock-Based Compensation (Narrative) (Details) - Performance stock units ("PSUs") [Member] - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2020	Apr. 12, 2020	Apr. 22, 2020	Jun. 27, 2020
2019 Short-Term Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares issued		773,875
Shares withheld for tax withholding obligation		368,938
2020 Short-Term Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of PSUs granted to certain employees			1,827,435
Weighted-average grant-date fair value of PSUs			$ 2.52
Description of award vesting rights			The vesting of these PSUs is subject to the Company achieving a predetermined measure of adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2020 and subject to each employee's continued employment with the Company through April 22, 2021 (the requisite service period).  The weighted-average grant-date fair value of each of these PSUs was estimated to be $2.52 based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the date of grant.  Each reporting period, the number of PSUs that are expected to vest is redetermined and the aggregate grant-date fair value of the redetermined number of PSUs is amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining requisite service period less amounts previously recognized.
Compensation expense				$ 0.8
Compensation costs related to PSU awards not yet recognized				$ 3.8
2020 Short-Term Incentive Plan [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of PSUs granted to certain employees	876,181
Aggregate grant-date fair value	$ 4.1
Weighted-average grant-date fair value of PSUs	$ 4.70
Description of award vesting rights	The vesting date and conditions of these PSUs are on the same basis as the PSUs above granted on April 22, 2020.

Other Expense (Income), Net (Na

Other Expense (Income), Net (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Description			For the two quarters ended June 27, 2020, income represents a gain on the settlement of the final contingent consideration obligation payable under an earn-out arrangement with the former unitholders of Citrusource, LLC, which was acquired by the Company in March 2015. On May 5, 2020, the parties agreed to settle the obligation for an amount of $2.0 million, of which $1.0 million was paid at the time of settlement and the remainder is being paid over the subsequent 10 months.
Current portion of long term liability settlement	$ 0.9		$ 0.9		$ 4.3
Reversal of previously recognized stock-based compensation expense related to forfeited awards	0.4		0.9	$ 2.1
Employee termination and recruitment costs in connection with Value Creation Plan	$ 0.5	$ 0.7	$ 1.5	$ 3.5

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Narr

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Narrative) (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Stock Options And Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	753,645	187,516	876,593
Stock Options [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	2,629,179	3,176,284	3,079,418	3,176,284
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Common shares issuable on an if-converted basis adjusted to diluted EPS	12,000,000		12,000,000
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Common shares issuable on an if-converted basis adjusted to diluted EPS	12,385,714	11,333,333	12,385,714	11,333,333

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) - Product Recall [Member] $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency Damages Sought	On November 20, 2017, Treehouse Foods, Inc., several of its related entities, and its insurer filed a lawsuit against the Company in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, titled TreeHouse Foods, Inc. et al. ("TreeHouse") v. SunOpta Grains and Food, Inc.  The Company was served with the Summons and Complaint on January 24, 2018. After the Company removed the case to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint on April 23, 2018, and a second Amended Complaint on October 12, 2018. The plaintiffs alleged economic damages resulting from the Company's 2016 voluntary recall of certain roasted sunflower kernel products due to the potential for listeria monocytogenes contamination. The plaintiffs brought claims for breach of contract, express and implied warranties and product guarantees, negligence, strict liability, negligent misrepresentation, and indemnity seeking $16.2 million in damages. There are no allegations of personal injury. On March 29, 2019, the court dismissed the plaintiffs' claims for negligence, strict liability, negligent misrepresentation, and common law indemnity. On May 31, 2020, the court granted summary judgment to SunOpta on TreeHouse's claims for breach of contract and breach of product guarantees, but denied summary judgment on TreeHouse's claims for breach of express and implied warranties. On the remaining claims, the court limited TreeHouse's damages to the purchase price of the product SunOpta sold to TreeHouse. The Company is vigorously defending itself against the remaining contract and warranty-based claims. The Company cannot reasonably predict the outcome of this claim, nor can it estimate the amount of loss, or range of loss, if any, that may result from this claim.
Loss Contingency Damages Sought Value	$ 16.2

Revenue (Disaggregation Of Reve

Revenue (Disaggregation Of Revenue) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	$ 310,944	$ 293,004	$ 646,893	$ 598,279
Global Ingredients [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	126,543	120,892	254,895	255,734
Global Ingredients [Member] | Organic and non-GMO ingredients [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	103,674	101,938	209,916	207,822
Global Ingredients [Member] | Premium juice [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	22,869	18,954	44,979	37,566
Global Ingredients [Member] | Soy and corn [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	0	0	0	10,346
Plant-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	91,705	81,940	197,947	163,216
Plant-Based Foods And Beverages [Member] | Beverages and broths [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	68,451	61,036	155,221	125,818
Plant-Based Foods And Beverages [Member] | Plant-based ingredients [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	6,284	5,835	12,196	10,517
Plant-Based Foods And Beverages [Member] | Sunflower and roasted snacks [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	16,970	15,069	30,530	26,881
Fruit-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	92,696	90,172	194,051	179,329
Fruit-Based Foods And Beverages [Member] | Frozen Fruit [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	75,079	65,952	150,286	131,144
Fruit-Based Foods And Beverages [Member] | Fruit-based ingredients [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	7,946	12,770	19,838	24,256
Fruit-Based Foods And Beverages [Member] | Fruit snacks [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	$ 9,671	$ 11,450	$ 23,927	$ 23,929

Value Creation Plan (Disclosure

Value Creation Plan (Disclosure of costs incurred under the Value Creation Plan) (Details) - Value Creation Plan [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance payable, Beginning			$ 4,227	$ 913
Costs incurred and charged to expense	$ 479	$ 1,675	2,474	3,533
Cash payments, net			(3,351)	(4,647)
Non-cash adjustments			816	2,102
Balance payable, Ending	4,166	1,901	4,166	1,901
Asset impairments and facility closure costs [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance payable, Beginning			201	477
Costs incurred and charged to expense			365	308
Cash payments, net			(387)	(483)
Non-cash adjustments			(78)	0
Balance payable, Ending	101	302	101	302
Employee recruitment, retention and termination costs [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance payable, Beginning			4,026	436
Costs incurred and charged to expense			1,320	2,947
Cash payments, net			(2,175)	(3,886)
Non-cash adjustments			894	2,102
Balance payable, Ending	4,065	1,599	4,065	1,599
Professional fees and temporary labor costs [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Balance payable, Beginning			0	0
Costs incurred and charged to expense			789	278
Cash payments, net			(789)	(278)
Non-cash adjustments			0	0
Balance payable, Ending	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Value Creation Plan (Disclosu_2

Value Creation Plan (Disclosure of costs incurred since the inception of the Value Creation Plan) (Details) - Value Creation Plan [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 27, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Jun. 29, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Costs incurred and charged to expense	$ 82,735
Cash payments, net	(59,442)
Non-cash adjustments	(19,127)
Balance payable	4,166	$ 4,227	$ 1,901	$ 913
Asset impairments and facility closure costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Costs incurred and charged to expense	35,325
Cash payments, net	(10,649)
Non-cash adjustments	(24,575)
Balance payable	101	201	302	477
Employee recruitment, retention and termination costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Costs incurred and charged to expense	24,289
Cash payments, net	(25,672)
Non-cash adjustments	5,448
Balance payable	4,065	4,026	1,599	436
Professional fees and temporary labor costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Costs incurred and charged to expense	23,121
Cash payments, net	(23,121)
Non-cash adjustments	0
Balance payable	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Value Creation Plan (Disclosu_3

Value Creation Plan (Disclosure of costs incurred and charged to expense in Value Creation Plan) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, general and administrative expenses	$ 28,299	$ 27,262	$ 55,505	$ 53,510
Value Creation Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, general and administrative expenses	463	954	1,499	1,157
Other expense	16	721	975	2,376
Restructuring Charges	$ 479	$ 1,675	$ 2,474	$ 3,533

Derivative Financial Instrume_4

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Recurring basis [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 27, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019
Commodity futures and forward contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized short-term derivative asset	$ 134	$ 284
Level 1 [Member] | Commodity futures and forward contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized short-term derivative asset	134	284
Level 2 [Member] | Commodity futures and forward contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized short-term derivative asset	0	0
Level 3 [Member] | Commodity futures and forward contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized short-term derivative asset	0	0
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Forward foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative liability, notional amount	(70)	(73)
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Forward foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative liability, notional amount	0	0
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Forward foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative liability, notional amount	(70)	(73)
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Forward foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative liability, notional amount	$ 0	$ 0

Inventories (Details)

Inventories (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 27, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Raw materials and work-in-process	$ 255,863	$ 259,658
Finished goods	74,468	75,112
Inventory reserves	(12,329)	(11,224)
Total Inventory, Net	$ 318,002	$ 323,546

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Te_4

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 27, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	$ 204,852	$ 245,536
Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs	219,148	218,404
Finance lease liabilities	15,143	16,223
Asset-backed term loan	4,151	4,386
Other	5,619	6,178
Total Long-term and Current Term Debt	244,061	245,191
Less: current portion	3,276	2,987
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities, Total	240,785	242,204
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	4,350	5,094
Global Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	202,263	241,666
Bulgarian Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	$ 2,589	$ 3,870

Other Expense (Income), Net (De

Other Expense (Income), Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Contingent consideration	$ 0	$ 0	$ (2,286)	$ 0
Product withdrawal and recall costs	(322)	0	(322)	260
Employee termination and recruitment costs	40	669	610	2,068
Facility closure costs	(24)	52	365	308
Gain on sale of soy and corn business	0	201	0	(45,378)
Settlement gain on project cancellation	0	(507)	0	(507)
Other	(27)	30	2	182
Total Other Expense, net	$ (333)	$ 445	$ (1,631)	$ (43,067)

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Deta

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Numerator for basic earnings (loss) per share
Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc.	$ 1,007	$ (9,055)	$ 4,368	$ 16,594
Less: dividends and accretion on Preferred Stock	(2,604)	(2,001)	(4,629)	(3,996)
Earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$ (1,597)	$ (11,056)	$ (261)	$ 12,598
Denominator for basic earnings (loss) per share
Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding	89,089	87,683	88,625	87,579
Basic earnings (loss) per share	$ (0.02)	$ (0.13)	$ 0	$ 0.14
Numerator for diluted earnings (loss) per share
Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc.	$ 1,007	$ (9,055)	$ 4,368	$ 16,594
Earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$ (1,597)	$ (11,056)	$ (261)	$ 12,598
Denominator for diluted earnings (loss) per share
Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding	89,089	87,683	88,625	87,579
Dilutive effect of the following:
Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding	89,089	87,683	88,625	87,743
Diluted earnings (loss) per share	$ (0.02)	$ (0.13)	$ 0	$ 0.14
Stock Options And Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Dilutive effect of the following:
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share	0	0	0	164
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Numerator for basic earnings (loss) per share
Less: dividends and accretion on Preferred Stock	$ (2,066)	$ (2,001)	$ (4,091)	$ (3,996)
Numerator for diluted earnings (loss) per share
Less: dividends and accretion on Preferred Stock	$ (2,066)	$ (2,001)	$ (4,091)	$ (3,996)
Dilutive effect of the following:
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share	0	0	0	0
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Numerator for basic earnings (loss) per share
Less: dividends and accretion on Preferred Stock	$ (538)	$ 0	$ (538)	$ 0
Numerator for diluted earnings (loss) per share
Less: dividends and accretion on Preferred Stock	$ (538)	$ 0	$ (538)	$ 0
Dilutive effect of the following:
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share	0	0	0	0

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_3

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Changes in Non-Cash Working Capital, Net of Businesses Acquired or Sold
Accounts receivable	$ 25,729	$ 1,525	$ (2,977)	$ 5,736
Inventories	(44,703)	(45,868)	5,246	(30,221)
Income tax recoverable/payable	(3,911)	(2,819)	2,158	(848)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	7,508	(3,350)	7,177	(7,971)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	4,445	19,348	(3,480)	6,841
Customer and other deposits	(1,469)	(825)	129	(725)
Changes in Non-Cash Working Capital, Net of Businesses Acquired or Sold, Total	(12,401)	(31,989)	8,253	(27,188)
Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities Operating leases	116	0	193	0
Accrued dividends on preferred stock	2,181	1,700	2,181	1,700
Dividend paid in kind on preferred stock	$ 1,700	$ 0	$ 1,700	$ 0

Segmented Information (Disclosu

Segmented Information (Disclosure of Segment Revenues and Operating Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	$ 310,944	$ 293,004	$ 646,893	$ 598,279
Segment operating income (loss)	16,506	2,203	33,771	5,669
Other income, net	333	(445)	1,631	43,067
Interest expense, net	(7,936)	(8,254)	(16,216)	(16,993)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	1,229	(11,236)	5,706	23,857
Global Ingredients [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	126,543	120,892	254,895	255,734
Segment operating income (loss)	8,038	3,667	16,152	10,210
Plant-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	91,705	81,940	197,947	163,216
Segment operating income (loss)	10,484	4,496	24,337	7,024
Fruit-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	92,696	90,172	194,051	179,329
Segment operating income (loss)	(2,016)	(5,960)	(6,718)	(11,565)
Corporate Services [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment operating income (loss)	$ (7,674)	$ (4,740)	$ (13,480)	$ (7,886)

Segmented Information (Disclo_2

Segmented Information (Disclosure of Segment Depreciation and Amortization) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 27, 2020	Jun. 29, 2019
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total depreciation and amortization	$ 8,751	$ 8,186	$ 17,673	$ 16,488
Global Ingredients [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total depreciation and amortization	1,096	1,337	2,293	2,806
Plant-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total depreciation and amortization	2,380	1,526	4,748	3,003
Fruit-Based Foods And Beverages [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total depreciation and amortization	4,110	4,166	8,246	8,394
Total Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total depreciation and amortization	7,586	7,029	15,287	14,203
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total depreciation and amortization	$ 1,165	$ 1,157	$ 2,386	$ 2,285