Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Statement [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues	$ 3,686,345	$ 3,924,790	$ 4,198,495
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	3,367,546	3,579,284	3,822,657
Gross profit	318,799	345,506	375,838
Operating, administrative and general expenses	287,930	318,395	337,829
Pension settlement	0	0	51,446
Asset impairment	10,913	9,107	285
Goodwill impairment	59,081	0	56,166
Interest expense	21,567	21,119	20,072
Other income:
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net	16,723	9,721	31,924
Other income, net	23,444	14,775	46,472
Income (loss) before income taxes	(20,525)	21,381	(11,564)
Income tax provision (benefit)	(63,134)	6,911	(242)
Net income (loss)	42,609	14,470	(11,322)
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	98	2,876	1,745
Net income (loss) attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$ 42,511	$ 11,594	$ (13,067)
Per common share:
Basic earnings attributable to The Andersons, Inc. common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.51	$ 0.41	$ (0.46)
Diluted earnings attributable to The Andersons, Inc. common shareholders (in dollars per share)	1.50	0.41	(0.46)
Dividends declared (in dollars per share)	$ 0.645	$ 0.6250	$ 0.5750