Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Operations of Seaboard Corporation and its Subsidiaries
Percentage of ownership interest held by Seaboard Flour LLC and SFC Preferred LLC	77.00%		77.00%
Property, Plant and Equipment
Impairment	$ 14
Goodwill
Goodwill impairment charges			$ 4
Goodwill, beginning balance			167	$ 164
Acquisition				4
Foreign currency translation				(1)
Impairment			(4)
Goodwill, ending balance	163		163	167	$ 164
Intangible assets
Gross carrying amount	79		79	79
Accumulated amortization and currency translation	(34)		(34)	(25)
Net carrying amount	45		45	54
Intangible assets
Amortization of intangible assets			9	8
2022	9		9
2023	9		9
2024	9		9
2025	9		9
2026	9		9
Changes in the asset retirement obligation
Beginning balance			27	25
Accretion expense			1	2
Liability for additional lagoons placed in service			1
Ending balance	29		$ 29	27	25
Revenue Recognition
Practical expedient, disclosure of performance obligation			true
Supplemental Non-Cash Transactions
Interest, net of interest capitalized			$ 10	16	36
Income taxes, net of refunds			104	55	31
Operating cash flows from operating leases			166	142	137
Operating cash flows from finance leases			5	4	1
Financing cash flows from finance leases			14	7	2
ROU assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities			244	62	95
ROU assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities			54	50	46
Capital expenditures included in accounts payable			5
Accounts Receivable
Trade	553		553	381
Due from affiliates	128		128	111
Other	112		112	68
Total receivables	793		793	560
Allowance for credit losses	(31)		(31)	(28)
Net receivables	762		762	532
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translation
Period of measurement to determine highly inflationary accounting		3 years
Three-year cumulative inflation rate		100.00%
Foreign currency (losses) gains related to the adoption of highly inflationary accounting			$ (1)	1	(3)
Minimum
Principles of Consolidation and Investments in Affiliates
Time lag for reporting financial information			1 month
Property, Plant and Equipment
Useful Lives			3 years
Maximum
Principles of Consolidation and Investments in Affiliates
Time lag for reporting financial information			3 months
Property, Plant and Equipment
Useful Lives			30 years
Pork
Goodwill
Goodwill, beginning balance			$ 18	18
Goodwill, ending balance	18		18	18	18
Commodity Trading and Milling
Goodwill
Goodwill impairment charges			4
Goodwill, beginning balance			149	146
Acquisition				4
Foreign currency translation				(1)
Impairment			(4)
Goodwill, ending balance	145		145	149	146
Customer relationships
Intangible assets
Gross carrying amount	51		51	51
Accumulated amortization and currency translation	(22)		(22)	(16)
Net carrying amount	29		29	35
Trade names
Intangible assets
Gross carrying amount	28		28	28
Accumulated amortization and currency translation	(12)		(12)	(9)
Net carrying amount	16		16	19
Allowance for Credit Losses
Movement in valuation and qualifying accounts
Balance at beginning of year			28	28	33
Transition Adjustment					3
Provision			5		5
Net deductions			(2)	(3)	(10)
Balance at end of year	31		31	28	28
Allowance for Notes Receivable
Movement in valuation and qualifying accounts
Balance at beginning of year			17	17	17
Provision			1
Balance at end of year	18		18	17	$ 17
Accounts Receivable | Geographic concentration | Foreign Country
Accounts Receivable
Foreign receivables, excluding receivables due from affiliates	$ 578		$ 578	$ 410
Net sales | Transferred at point in time
Revenue Recognition
Percentage of revenue			85.00%