Tossa jute (Corchorus olitorius), also know as Jew's mallow, is a member of the Mallow family which produces a long shiny vegetable fibre that is soft and silky, yet has exceptional strength.

It is the second most important vegetable fibre after cotton, not only for cultivation, but also for it's various uses and is a highly productive plant, with uses for the entire plant.

Modern day uses take advantage of jute's biodegradable nature, where synthetics would be unsuitable.

For example :

• containers for planting young trees which can be planted directly within the container without disturbing the roots
• land restoration where jute cloth prevents erosion occurring while natural vegetation becomes established
• to make pulp and paper, which could reduce concerns over forest destruction for the wood pulp used to make most paper
• geotextiles used for soil erosion control, seed protection, weed control, and many other agricultural and landscaping uses.