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.