- 4 -
FINDINGS OF FACT
Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found.
The stipulation of facts and the exhibits attached thereto are
incorporated herein by this reference.
The jojoba plant is a shrub that is native to the Sonora
Desert region in Arizona, California, and Mexico. A jojoba plant
may live more than 100 years. The female jojoba plant produces a
seed, sometimes referred to as a bean, that contains
approximately 50 percent by weight of an unusual oil. Jojoba oil
is actually a liquid wax ester, unlike the triglyceride oils
typically produced by plants, and is similar to sperm whale oil.
It takes 5 years or more for a jojoba plant to produce seeds
in a harvestable quantity. Approximately 20 pounds of jojoba
seeds are needed to produce 1 gallon of jojoba oil. Jojoba oil
is useful for a variety of purposes, ranging from cosmetics and
shampoos to industrial lubricants.
The ban in 1971 on the importation of sperm whale oil and
products using that oil stimulated an interest in the commercial
production of jojoba oil. During the 1970's and the early
1980's, jojoba oil was available only from native jojoba plants.
At that time in the United States, there were only a few
commercial-size jojoba plantations, all of which were in
developmental stages. Domestication studies were being conducted
in the United States during that time at the University of
California at Riverside and the University of Arizona, among
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011