FoodTech/agriTech start-up CarobWay, Ltd., together with Israel’s oldest environmental arm, the Jewish National Fund (JNF-KKL), have kicked off a nationwide research initiative for carob trees. The start-up announces it also sealed agreements with R&D farms and local farming communities in Israel to optimize carob cultivation to develop innovative carob-derived products.
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CarobWay currently harvests carobs from key carob forests in several parts of Israel owned by the JNF. The start-up also established its first 70-hectare (173 acre) modern carob grove in the Upper Galilee region. The move was in conjunction with two R&D farms, Hulata and Galilee Agricultural Co., as well as five other collective farms. The venture spearheads a 10-year joint project for combining Israeli agricultural know-how and innovative technology for the intensive cultivation of high-yield carob trees. The project will adhere to sustainability and fair-trade ideals.
The team is conducting broadscale screening of native carob species. This will enable the start-up to develop carob-based products that are in line with food industry needs. “We applied several analytical methods to attain a deeper understanding of various carob species and their unique characteristics specifically so that we can tailor our offerings more adroitly to our clients,” says Udi Alroy, co-founder and CEO of Carobway. “For example, some carob species grow fruit with higher sugar content, albeit with a naturally low glycemic index). These can serve the needs of food and beverage companies seeking viable sugar alternatives. Other trees bear more seeds and so are more suited to the locust bean gum industry.”
Hulata runs a model grove dedicated to R&D, wherein local carob varieties and their cultivation methods from irrigation through to pollination technologies are regularly analyzed by CarobWay staff. The orchard is fully automated and computerized, effectively gathering all cultivation and meteorological data.