Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2011

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1 — BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The information furnished herein reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated balance sheets as of July 31, 2011 and October 31, 2010 and the consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the three month and nine month periods ended July 31, 2011 and 2010 of Greif, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, all wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries and investments in limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures in which it has controlling influence. Non-majority owned entities include investments in limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures in which the Company does not have controlling influence.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements included in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Form 10-Q”) should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended October 31, 2010 (the “2010 Form 10-K”). Note 1 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” from the 2010 Form 10-K is specifically incorporated in this Form 10-Q by reference. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instructions to Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates.

The Company’s fiscal year begins on November 1 and ends on October 31 of the following year. Any references to the year 2011 or 2010, or to any quarter of those years, relates to the fiscal year or quarter, as the case may be, ending in that year.

Certain and appropriate prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2011 presentation.

Newly Adopted Accounting Standards

In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) amended Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 860, “Transfers and Servicing”. The amendment to ASC 860 requires an enterprise to evaluate whether the transaction is legally isolated from the Company and whether the results of the transaction are consolidated within the consolidated financial statements. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning November 1, 2010, and the adoption of the new guidance did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows, other than the related disclosures.

In June 2009, the FASB amended ASC 810, “Consolidation”. The amendment to ASC 810 changed the methodology for determining the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) from a quantitative risk and rewards based model to a qualitative determination. It also requires enhanced disclosures that will provide users of financial statements with more transparent information about an enterprise’s involvement in a VIE. Accordingly, the Company reevaluated its previous ASC 810 conclusions, including (1) whether an entity is a VIE, (2) whether the enterprise is the VIE’s primary beneficiary, and (3) what type of financial statement disclosures are required. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning November 1, 2010, and the adoption of the new guidance did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows, other than the related disclosures.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Effective July 1, 2009, changes to the ASC are communicated through an Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”). As of July 31, 2011, the FASB has issued ASU’s 2009-01 through 2011-07. The Company has reviewed each ASU and determined that they will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows, other than the related disclosures.

In December 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-29 “Business Combinations: Disclosure of supplementary pro forma information for business combinations”. The amendment to ASC 805 “Business Combinations” requires a public entity to disclose pro forma information for business combinations that occurred in the current reporting period. The disclosures include pro forma revenue and earnings of the combined entity for the current reporting period as though the acquisition date for all business combinations that occurred during the year had been as of the beginning of the annual reporting period. If comparative financial statements are presented, the pro forma revenue and earnings of the combined entity for the comparable prior reporting period should be reported as though the acquisition date for all business combinations that occurred during the current year had been as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period. The Company will adopt the new guidance beginning November 1, 2011, and the adoption of the new guidance will not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows, other than the related disclosures.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05 “Comprehensive Income: Presentation of comprehensive income.” The amendment to ASC 220 “Comprehensive Income” requires that all non-owner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement should present total net income and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that should present total other comprehensive income, the components of other comprehensive income, and the total of comprehensive income. The Company will adopt the new guidance beginning November 1, 2011, and the adoption of the new guidance will not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows, other than the related disclosures.