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A Hero of the Plant Kingdom: The Crop that Saved the Whale

At one time the future of the sperm whale looked bleak. For decades it was hunted for its oil, a commodity much is demand by heavy industry for making lubricants.

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After years of campaigning by conservationist groups, in1970 the U.S. Congress passed the Endangered Species Conservation Act; it banned the importing of sperm whale products. Some other countries soon followed suit, and the sperm whale was saved from extinction.  

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But not all of the credit can be taken by the conservationists. The legislation might not have been passed so easily if scientists had not already found a substitute for sperm whale oil in the jojoba, a plant that had flourished in Mexico and Arizona for hundreds of years.

Potential Realized

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The jojoba is a gray-green or blue-green evergreen shrub that can grow six feet high. The foliage is handsome and luxuriant, but the plant is most highly prized for the oil contained in the nuts.

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Many botanists believe that the jojoba may date back to prehistoric times, but the first record occurs in the 18th century chronicles of Jesuits traveling through Mexico. They mention the plant’s popularity with the local Indian tribes, who used it for both medicinal and cosmetic purposes. The ground nuts were said to cure a wide range of medical complaints, from dandruff and skin inflammations to problem during childbirth. The men used the oil to dress their hair and mustaches; the women put in on their braids.

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The Jesuits’ reports did not stir popular interest in Europe, however, and until the 20th century, jojoba continued to be valued chiefly by the Indians. Then, intrigued by the many historical references to its medicinal properties, researchers at the University of Arizona began to study the plant. But it was not until 1933 that they made their real breakthrough: the oil in the jojoba nut was composed not of fat but a liquid wax.

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The implications of this discovery were enormous. The absence of fat meant that jojoba oil was much purer and needed less processing than other oils – an important factor, since it kept labor costs down. Further research revealed that the oil’s potential was almost limitless. It could be used in food processing and preservation; to make lubricants, floor waxes, and car waxes of unsurpassed hardness and sheen; disinfectants, resins, and protective coatings; corrosion inhibitors; bases for creams, ointments, and shampoos; salad oils; and polishes for wood and leather.

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The oil has also been found to have medicinal benefits for arthritis, rheumatism, and tuberculosis, and many medical researchers have used it as a vehicle for transporting to antibiotic penicillin through the body.

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Indispensable: Oil from the nuts of the jojoba plant has almost unlimited uses, in car waxes and wood polishes, in salad oils and shampoos.

Future Benefits

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Great social and economic benefits may also be derived from the plant’s ability to survive in arid lands. Instead of competing with existing crops for high-grade agricultural land, it can bring marginal and arid land into use. Consequently, pilot plantations have been established in the United States, Israel, India, Africa and Australia, giving employment to millions while keeping the price of the raw material low. As if this were not enough, residue from the plant can be used to feed animals.

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Therefore, the jojoba may be considered a true hero of the plant kingdom. Not only has it saved the sperm whale, it has also provided a number of practical benefits and promised increase prosperity for the inhabitants of some of the world’s harshest regions. Given the jojoba’s amazing versatility, how did we ever manage without it?