MarulaLab researches, develops, and grows selected varieties of Marula trees in orchards optimized for the production of Marula seed oil, develops patent-pending unique extraction machinery for its oil production line, in addition to pursuing the establishment of a no-waste policy for all of the products of the tree – seed, peel, and pulp.

MarulaLab represents all Marula growers in Israel, unified to produce enough fruit to satisfy current world demand. The company holds an optimized Marula gene bank for research and development, consisting of 22 choice varieties picked from Africa for their best fruit and seed properties.

MarulaLab working together with an expert development team covering the fields of agri-tech, academic research, mechanical and food industry, has brought the company to develop patent-pending optimized oil extraction technology, suitable to the unique challenges of the Marula nut, in addition to breeding and registering several tree varieties that have shown to be the best oil producers in the world.

 The Marula tree was brought to Israel as part of a joint initiative between the Ministry of Agriculture and Ben Gurion University to search for new crops that might adapt to the Negev. Indeed, the tree is suitable for the local desert soil and climate conditions. It is growing rapidly up to 2 meters/year under either fresh or salty water, flourishing in high temperatures (19-34°C), strong winds, and direct sun, making it a perfect contender for Agroforestry-combined crops. 

In addition to Marula’s ecological and agricultural direct contribution, The MarulaLab initiative has already produced dozens of new jobs in the fields of industry, research, and marketing to improve the local job market and attract young professionals to the periphery.