XML 121 R66.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9

Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Mar. 28, 2005 Agreement acre	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	May 31, 2005	Apr. 30, 2006 acre	Jan. 31, 2006 acre	May 23, 2005 acre
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of purchase and sale agreements	2gef_NumberOfAgreement
Acres of timberland	56,000us-gaap_AreaOfLand					5,700us-gaap_AreaOfLand	15,300us-gaap_AreaOfLand	35,000us-gaap_AreaOfLand
Approximate value of sale agreement with Plum Creek Timberland	$ 90.0us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsAcquisitionCostsOrSaleProceeds					$ 9.7us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsAcquisitionCostsOrSaleProceeds	$ 29.3us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsAcquisitionCostsOrSaleProceeds	$ 51.0us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsAcquisitionCostsOrSaleProceeds
Pretax gain on sale						9.0us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsGainLossOnSaleOrDisposalPretax	27.4us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsGainLossOnSaleOrDisposalPretax	42.1us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsGainLossOnSaleOrDisposalPretax
Purchase notes payable								50.9gef_PurchaseNotesPayable
Maximum amount of guarantee on purchase notes								52.3gef_MaximumAmountOfGuaranteeOnPurchaseNotes
Extended date		Nov. 05, 2020
Restricted bank financial instruments under Buyer SPE		50.9gef_RestrictedBankFinancialInstrumentsOfPurchaserUnderRealEstateSaleAgreement	50.9gef_RestrictedBankFinancialInstrumentsOfPurchaserUnderRealEstateSaleAgreement
Interest income of Buyer SPE		2.4gef_InterestIncomeOfPurchaserUnderRealEstateSaleAgreement	2.4gef_InterestIncomeOfPurchaserUnderRealEstateSaleAgreement	2.4gef_InterestIncomeOfPurchaserUnderRealEstateSaleAgreement
Interest expense				2.2us-gaap_InterestExpense
Variable interest entities outstanding advances			0.6gef_VariableInterestEntitiesOutstandingAdvances
Short term loans payable to NSC			12.7us-gaap_NotesPayableRelatedPartiesClassifiedCurrent
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		(46.6)us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest	2.8us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest	5.5us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
Maximum [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Committed capital contribution		150gef_CommittedCapitalContribution / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember
STA Timber [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal outstanding		43.3us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember	43.3us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
Interest expense		2.2us-gaap_InterestExpense / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember	2.2us-gaap_InterestExpense / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
STA Timber [Member] | Monetization Notes [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Senior Secured Notes					5.20%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = gef_MonetizationNotesMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
Maturity date					Aug. 05, 2020
Debt instrument, principal outstanding					43.3us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = gef_MonetizationNotesMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
General Textile [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in Variable Interest Entity		49.00%us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage / dei_LegalEntityAxis = gef_TextilesMember
Flexible Packaging JV [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		57.0us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_CorporateJointVentureMember	9.1us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_CorporateJointVentureMember	4.4us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_CorporateJointVentureMember
Cooperage Receivables Finance BV [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in Variable Interest Entity		0.00%us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = gef_CooperageReceivablesFinanceBvMember
Buyer SPE [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in Variable Interest Entity		0.00%us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = gef_BuyerSpeMember
Trading Co. [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in Variable Interest Entity		51.00%us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = gef_TradingCompanyMember
Asset Co. [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in Variable Interest Entity		49.00%us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = gef_AssetCompanyMember
Third Party [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Committed capital contribution		$ 150gef_CommittedCapitalContribution / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = gef_ThirdPartyMember

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Area of land held.

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Amount of long-term debt before deduction of unamortized discount or premium. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt, with initial maturities beyond one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Amount of Net Income (Loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest.

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Percentage of the Variable Interest Entity's (VIE) voting interest owned by (or beneficial interest in) the reporting entity (directly or indirectly).

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