REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTEREST IN NUTRA SA (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Irgovel [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Nutra SA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Nutra SA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Nutra SA [Member]	Mar. 25, 2014 Nutra SA [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Nutra SA [Member] Equipment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 NutraCea [Member] Representative	Dec. 31, 2012 NutraCea [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Investors [Member] Representative	Dec. 31, 2013 Investors [Member] Nutra SA [Member]	Mar. 25, 2014 Investors [Member] Nutra SA [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Investors [Member] Nutra SA [Member] Average [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Investors [Member] Nutra SA [Member] Average [Member]
Summary of carrying amounts included in consolidated balance sheets [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 5,091,000	$ 1,040,000	$ 3,329,000			$ 1,686,000	$ 562,000
Other current assets (restricted $1,907 and $2,505)	833,000	975,000				4,546,000	5,675,000
Property, net (restricted $4,969 and $5,757)	24,958,000	28,457,000				17,672,000	19,690,000
Goodwill and intangibles, net						4,812,000	6,215,000
Other noncurrent assets	532,000	385,000				27,000	54,000
Total assets	44,578,000	47,006,000				28,743,000	32,196,000
Current liabilities	18,961,000	15,533,000				6,514,000	5,141,000
Current portion of long-term debt (nonrecourse)	8,250,000	8,003,000				6,262,000	7,013,000
Long-term debt, less current portion (nonrecourse)	10,919,000	11,581,000				6,658,000	7,454,000
Other noncurrent liabilities						0	1,871,000
Total liabilities	31,565,000	33,308,000				19,434,000	21,479,000
Restricted portion of other current assets						1,907,000	2,505,000
Variable interest entity restricted portion of property, net						4,969,000	5,757,000
Summary of changes for redeemable noncontrolling interest [Roll Forward]
Redeemable noncontrolling interest in Nutra SA, beginning of period	9,262,000									9,262,000	9,918,000
Investors' interest in net loss of Nutra SA										(2,619,000)	(1,627,000)
Investors' interest in accumulated other comprehensive income of Nutra SA										(666,000)	(529,000)
Investors' purchase of additional units										1,200,000	1,500,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest in Nutra SA, end of period	7,177,000									7,177,000	9,262,000
Ownership percentage of noncontrolling owner (in hundredths)								56.70%					45.90%	43.30%	49.00%	49.00%
Cash transferred to Nutra SA					100,000	3,300,000			800,000
Historical cost of equipment returned						200,000
Yield earned beginning in January, 2014 (in hundredths)													4.00%
Distributable cash terms	(i) first, to the Investors in an amount equal to a multiplier (Preference Multiple) times the Investors’ capital contributions, less the aggregate amount of distributions paid to the Investors, (ii) second, to us in an amount equal to two times the capital contributions made by us, less the aggregate amount of distributions paid to us; and (iii) third, to us and the Investors in proportion to our respective membership interests.
Number of representatives in management committee										3		2
Number of representatives in management committee upon default										2		3
Terms of default	A Nutra SA business plan deviation, defined as the occurrence in 2014 of a 20% unfavorable variation in two out of three of the following: (i) revenue, (ii) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) or (iii) debt, A Nutra SA EBITDA default, which is defined as the failure to achieve 85% of planned EBITDA for three consecutive quarters, A material problem, which is defined as a material problem in a facility (unrelated to changes in law, weather, etc.) likely to cause a Nutra SA business plan deviation or Nutra SA EBITDA default, which results in damages not at least 80% covered by insurance proceeds, Failure of Irgovel to meet minimum quarterly processing targets beginning in the second quarter of 2014, or Failure of Irgovel to achieve EBITDA of at least $4.0 million in any year after 2014.
Threshold percentage of unfavorable variance for default calculation (in hundredths)						20.00%
Threshold percentage of planned EBITDA for default calculation (in hundredths)						85.00%
Threshold percentage of damages not covered by insurance proceeds for a material problem, minimum (in hundredths)						80.00%
Minimum EBITDA triggering default status				4,000,000
Terms of qualifying event	Any event prior to September 16, 2014, which results, or will result, in (i) a person or group of persons exercising the right to appoint members to our board of directors holding one third or more of the votes of all board members, (ii) the sale, exchange, pledge or use as guarantee of one half or more of our ownership interest in Nutra SA to a third party or (iii) the bankruptcy of RiceBran Technologies or Nutra SA.
Drag Along Right termination amount													$ 50,000,000