For Jojoba Valley, sustainability and concern for the health of the planet go hand in hand with the way we evaluate business decisions and future plans. We truly believe that protecting the environment will ensure a brighter future for our planet which is a major concern to us as a co-op comprised of farmers. A healthy planet is better for every aspect of our organization. Therefore, conducting business with greener and more efficient, low-waste practices has been a priority since our founding.

We have identified multiple steps in our jojoba production process where we can reduce our environmental footprint. From our jojoba plantations to our jojoba oil extraction facility and continuing with the way we conduct our sales and marketing.

Below is a list of the primary sustainability measures that Jojoba Valley implements in the production of jojoba oil:

1. Irrigation – Our jojoba plantations are irrigated either by desalinated water or by brackish water suitable for the jojoba shrubs. This enables us to save pure drinking water. Jojoba is a desert plant that needs very little irrigation.
2.  Zero Waste – Pruned branches are crushed and left under the shrubs to be used as a natural fertilizer and mulch. The seeds are used for oil production and the leftover seed after pressing (”press cake”) is used for cosmetic applications or as animal feed.
3.  No Use of Pesticides – Jojoba is a resilient plant with no natural pests and therefore no pesticides are used on the plants.
4. Minimum Use of Fertilizers – The jojoba shrubs find all the nutrients they need in the soil of the Negev Desert, in the south of Israel. This area provides the perfect conditions for the plantations to grow with minimal intervention.
5. Seed Harvest Innovations – Jojoba Valley was the first in the world to use nets to harvest jojoba seed. This technique minimizes the amount of dust put into the air which improves working conditions. The nets also minimize the amount of debris collected in the fields which is not then transported to the factory thereby reducing the amount of fuel used for transport. Best of all, this technique increases the quality of the jojoba seed and as a result, the quality of the oil produced. A win-win-win!
6. Energy Positive Factory Using Solar Power – Our new jojoba extraction plant currently under construction (ready in 2022) is planned as an Energy Positive Factory, meaning it will create more energy from solar power than it will use.
7. High Investment in R&D – Jojoba Valley invests significant funds and resources into the development of new breeds of jojoba through selective breeding that will be more resilient to climate change and need even less water.
8. Minimize Carbon Emission – Modern transportation has a significant role in global warming due to carbon emissions. In order to minimize our carbon emission footprint, we optimize our logistics to bring our products closer to markets and customers. We try as much as possible to ship full containers globally and offer our products from strategically located warehouses in different countries to increase efficiency instead of shipping small volumes around the world to multiple customers from a central distribution point.
9. Reuse of packaging – We reuse and recycle our packaging as part of our commitment to minimize waste. The sacks used to store the seeds after collection on our farms are reused multiple times. The steel drums we send to our US subsidiary after emptying are used by local residents in various ways, an example of the strong connection we have with the local community.
10. Work From Home Policy – Some of our employees live far from company headquarters. In order to minimize fuel consumption, some of these employees work partly from home.

All of these important steps get us closer to achieving the goal of long-term sustainability. We acknowledge that there will be additional measures to improve sustainability in the future. We will continue to research and implement these ideas in order to leave our children with a better planet and a better future.