ABOUT THE NILOTICA SHEA NUT TREE
Two species of shea nut trees grow in a narrow band
of savanna that extends from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the
east. The West African shea nut has been commercially exploited since
colonial days, but the nilotica species that grows in Sudan has gained
recognition recently for its superior purity.
The Sudanese variety of shea nut, known by its
Arabic name of lulu, produces a lighter, less odiferous oil that does
not require bleaching or deodorizing like the darker West African
variety.
Lulu oil, high in olein, serves as the main source of calories for
people in southern Sudan during the dry season, and amazingly, produces
its harvest at the very time that hunger peaks.
Building on the traditional role of Sudanese women
as the guardians of the lulu tree and producers of lulu oil, Lulu
Livelihoods has brought income stability to over 800 women in 40
different rural processing centers in Southern Sudan.
