It all began over 70 years ago, just before the State of Israel came into being. A group of pioneers, literally overnight, set up Kibbutz Hatzerim. The vision was to have a shared community, which would serve its members and the itinerant population of the Negev. In the early 80’s, the Kibbutz started searching for new agricultural opportunities which would support the member’s livelihoods and those of the Bedouin living close by. However, greening the arid Negev desert was also a major priority.
Oded Winkler, a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture, and a veteran Kibbutz member, was given the job of finding the right crop. After much research, he found the Jojoba shrub. It had been growing in the deserts of Mexico and South America for centuries, where its remarkable properties were very well known by the indigenous population and the local communities.
At that time, it was also discovered that Jojoba Oil was a great substitute for Sperm Whale oil which, at a time when whale hunting was rapidly being banned across the world’s oceans, seemed like a true fit for the Israeli desert climate. Oded, immediately realized the opportunity and convinced the kibbutz this was a marriage made in heaven. This is how Jojoba Desert was born.
Today, the arid land of the Negev is painted green, with row upon row of beautiful Jojoba shrubs, which have become an inseparable part of the Negev landscape, and helps in fighting desertification while preserving biodiversity.
As the demand for Jojoba oil increases year on year, so do the Jojoba crops which grow stronger and cover a wider area, enabling Jojoba Desert to offer its partners increased, stable, worldwide supply and become the worlds largest Jojoba Oil wholesale distributors.
Sustainability for Jojoba Desert means:
- Controlled natural resource management by using drip irrigated reclaimed water, on previously non-arable land.
- Using renewable energy – solar panels and recycled waste water
- Re-using Jojoba pulp to fertilize crops and as animal feed
- Biodiversity by maintaining "Wild Type" Jojoba plantations
- The Negev is in a process of regeneration and becoming more enriched each year.
- Our crops provide steady jobs and support hundreds of people across the region.
- We make wise use of the natural resources, while maintaining a sustainable operation that protects the community and the planet.
- Jojoba Desert is the largest global supplier and wholesale distributor of high-quality, pure Jojoba oil to the cosmetics and paramedical industries.
In 2017, an innovative, fully-automated facility was established, designed to support the rapid global demand for Jojoba oil, and to ensure the most stable supply of oil in terms of quality and availability.
Jojoba Desert has become the largest global supplier and Jojoba Oil wholesale distributor of the highest quality.
Today, we at Jojoba Desert, carry forward the principles that guided the founders in the early days, and which further strengthen us today.
