Sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty Defined

Gills Onions are grown and processed through a system of agriculture that conserves and promotes the well-being of natural and human resources - now and for the benefit of future generations.

Where We Are

We operate the largest fresh onion processing plant in the world and manage over 15,000 acres of farmland and over 300,000 square feet of processing and warehousing facilities through us or our sister company, Rio farms, and other entities. We have tremendous potential to have a positive impact on the Air, Land, Water, Energy, and Communities we rely upon for our livelihood.

Highlights

Air

Our Advanced Energy Recovery System (AERS) reduces up to 30,000 tons/year CO2 equivalent emissions from our processing facility - roughly the annual Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from 5,000 cars.

Land

By re-configuring planting beds in the Imperial Valley, Gills Onions was able to increase plants per acre by 15%, resulting in a 22% reduction in land required to achieve the same yields.

Water

By using drip irrigation in 98% - 99% of its fields, Gills Onions saves enough water to meet the annual needs of 2,900 homes in California.

Waste-to-Energy

Gills Onions generates 1.5 Million Pounds of Onion Waste per week, and converts 100% of it into ultra-clean, renewable energy and high value cattle feed thru our Advanced Energy Recovery System - providing enough electricity to power 460 homes annually.

Community

As a significant supporter (Corporate Champion) of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme since 2004, Gills Onions has helped them provide a safe haven and support services for over 7,000 young people annually.

Food Quality & Safety

Our Sustainability efforts enhanced Food Quality and Safety - allowing us to continually track from Field to Customer, to receive very high or "Excellent" ratings in all our audits, and to maintain our Kosher Certification by the Rabbinical Council of California.

For more about our all our Sustainability efforts, download our Sustainability Highlights 2009 brochure, and check back soon as we add more detail and information about ongoing programs.