| Cover | 12 Months Ended |
| Dec. 31, 2022 | |
| Document Information [Line Items] | |
| Document Type | DEF 14A |
| Amendment Flag | false |
| Entity Information [Line Items] | |
| Entity Registrant Name | SunOpta Inc. |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0000351834 |
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | ||
| Dec. 31, 2022 | Jan. 01, 2022 | Jan. 02, 2021 | |
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Pay vs Performance [Table Text Block] | Pay Versus Performance As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information about the relationship between executive compensation actually paid and certain financial performance of the Company. The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation of our CEO and other NEOs for the prior three fiscal years and our financial performance for each such fiscal year: Pay Versus Performance Table Year-end value of $100 Year Summary sation Table $ Compen- sation $ Average sation Table $ Average sation $ STKL $ Compen- sation marking $ Net Income (in millions) $ Adj. (in millions) $ 2022 7,801,397 7,265,129 1,544,432 1,969,160 338.96 86.79 -4.841 83.709 2021 2,342,370 1,788,601 1,214,868 660,352 279.12 105.74 -1.172 60.623 2020 2,679,692 29,771,448 1,396,512 4,466,828 468.67 116.84 82.428 58.712 (1) Deductions from, and additions to, total compensation in the Summary Compensation Table by year to calculate Compensation Actually Paid include: 2022 2021 2020 Joseph Average Joseph Average Joseph Average $ $ $ $ $ $ Total Compensation from Summary Compensation Table 7,801,397 1,544,432 2,342,370 1,214,868 2,679,692 1,396,512 Adjustments for Equity Awards Adjustment for grant date values in the Summary Compensation Table (6,907,249 ) (1,049,093 ) (1,582,653 ) (760,053 ) (874,998 ) (571,054 ) Year-end fair value of unvested awards granted in the current year 8,319,596 1,313,452 735,289 318,364 3,733,536 1,841,698 Year-over-year difference of year-end fair values for unvested awards granted in prior years 926,983 92,586 (3,474,381 ) (458,148 ) 20,135,238 1,459,113 Fair values at vest date for awards granted and vested in current year - - - - - - Difference in fair values between prior year-end fair values and vest date fair values for awards granted in prior years (2,875,597 ) 67,784 3,767,975 345,320 4,097,980 340,559 Forfeitures during current year equal to prior year-end fair value - - - - - - Dividends or dividend equivalents not otherwise included in total compensation - - - - - - Total Adjustments for Equity Awards (536,268 ) 424,728 (553,769 ) (554,517 ) 27,091,756 3,070,316 Compensation Actually Paid (as calculated) 7,265,129 1,969,160 1,788,601 660,352 29,771,448 4,466,828 (2) Non-CEO NEOs reflect the average Summary Compensation Table total compensation and average Compensation Actually Paid for the following executives: Scott Huckins, Jill Barnett, Michael Buick, Chris Whitehair. These were the NEOs for 2022, 2021, and 2020. (3) Reflects our peer group used for compensation benchmarking purposes as detailed on page 40 in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis. The compensation peer group was updated in 2021 to reflect companies that were better suited to SunOpta's size and business. At that time, Farmer Bros. Co., Flowers Foods, Inc., Darling Ingredients, Inc., and Sanderson Farms, Inc., were replaced with BellRing Brands, Inc., Beyond Meat, Inc., Utz Brands, Inc., and Vital Farms, Inc. If the prior peer group used in 2020 was used in the table above, cumulative TSR for 2020, 2021, and 2022 would have been $128.71, $145.70, and $123.38, respectively. TSR for Vital Farms is measured as of the date of their initial public offering in 2020. Sanderson Farms was taken private in 2022 and is excluded from the TSR calculation for 2022. | ||
| Named Executive Officers, Footnote [Text Block] | Non-CEO NEOs reflect the average Summary Compensation Table total compensation and average Compensation Actually Paid for the following executives: Scott Huckins, Jill Barnett, Michael Buick, Chris Whitehair. These were the NEOs for 2022, 2021, and 2020. | ||
| Peer Group Issuers, Footnote [Text Block] | Reflects our peer group used for compensation benchmarking purposes as detailed on page 40 in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis. The compensation peer group was updated in 2021 to reflect companies that were better suited to SunOpta's size and business. At that time, Farmer Bros. Co., Flowers Foods, Inc., Darling Ingredients, Inc., and Sanderson Farms, Inc., were replaced with BellRing Brands, Inc., Beyond Meat, Inc., Utz Brands, Inc., and Vital Farms, Inc. If the prior peer group used in 2020 was used in the table above, cumulative TSR for 2020, 2021, and 2022 would have been $128.71, $145.70, and $123.38, respectively. TSR for Vital Farms is measured as of the date of their initial public offering in 2020. Sanderson Farms was taken private in 2022 and is excluded from the TSR calculation for 2022. | ||
| PEO Total Compensation Amount | $ 7,801,397 | $ 2,342,370 | $ 2,679,692 |
| PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount | 7,265,129 | 1,788,601 | 29,771,448 |
| Non-PEO NEO Average Total Compensation Amount | 1,544,432 | 1,214,868 | 1,396,512 |
| Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount | $ 1,969,160 | 660,352 | 4,466,828 |
| Compensation Actually Paid vs. Total Shareholder Return [Text Block] | |||
| Compensation Actually Paid vs. Net Income [Text Block] | |||
| Compensation Actually Paid vs. Company Selected Measure [Text Block] | |||
| Total Shareholder Return Amount | $ 338.96 | 279.12 | 468.67 |
| Peer Group Total Shareholder Return Amount | 86.79 | 105.74 | 116.84 |
| Net Income (Loss) | $ (4,841,000) | $ (1,172,000) | $ (82,428,000) |
| Company Selected Measure Amount | 83,709,000 | 60,623,000 | 58,712,000 |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| PEO Total Compensation Amount | $ 7,801,397 | $ 2,342,370 | $ 2,679,692 |
| PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount | 7,265,129 | 1,788,601 | 29,771,448 |
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | (536,268) | (553,769) | 27,091,756 |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | Adjustment For Grant Date Values In Summary Compensation Table [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | (6,907,249) | (1,582,653) | (874,998) |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | Year End Fair Value Of Unvested Awards Granted In Current Year [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 8,319,596 | 735,289 | 3,733,536 |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | Year Over Year Difference Of Year End Fair Values For Unvested Awards Granted In Prior Years [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 926,983 | (3,474,381) | 20,135,238 |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | Fair Values At Vest Date For Awards Granted And Vested In Current Year [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | Difference In Fair Values Between Prior Year End Fair Values And Vest Date Fair Values For Awards Granted In Prior Years [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | (2,875,597) | 3,767,975 | 4,097,980 |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | Forfeitures During Current Year Equal To Prior Year End Fair Value [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Principal Executive Officer Joseph Ennen [Member] | Dividends Or Dividend Equivalents Not Otherwise Included In Total Compensation [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| PEO Total Compensation Amount | 1,544,432 | 1,214,868 | 1,396,512 |
| PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount | 1,969,160 | 660,352 | 4,466,828 |
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 424,728 | (554,517) | 3,070,316 |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Adjustment For Grant Date Values In Summary Compensation Table [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | (1,049,093) | (760,053) | (571,054) |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Year End Fair Value Of Unvested Awards Granted In Current Year [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 1,313,452 | 318,364 | 1,841,698 |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Year Over Year Difference Of Year End Fair Values For Unvested Awards Granted In Prior Years [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 92,586 | (458,148) | 1,459,113 |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Fair Values At Vest Date For Awards Granted And Vested In Current Year [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Difference In Fair Values Between Prior Year End Fair Values And Vest Date Fair Values For Awards Granted In Prior Years [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 67,784 | 345,320 | 340,559 |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Forfeitures During Current Year Equal To Prior Year End Fair Value [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Named Executive Officers Non Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Dividends Or Dividend Equivalents Not Otherwise Included In Total Compensation [Member] | |||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | |||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
