The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a tree endemic to south-western Morocco: it grows mainly between Essaouira, Agadir, Taroudant and the Souss valley. Its biosphere reserve, recognised by UNESCO in 1998, covers 2.5 million hectares. The tree produces a fruit whose kernel contains an oil of very high cosmetic and food value.
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to be replacedi. Botany
The argan tree is a thorny tree of 8 to 10 metres, with a spreading crown and evergreen foliage. It can live more than 200 years. Adapted to drought, it tolerates poor soils and rainfall below 200 mm/year, which lets it occupy the semi-desert pre-Saharan fringe. It fixes the soil and forms a natural barrier against the advance of the desert.
ii. Producing the oil
Traditional production is a female task in seven steps: harvesting the fruits fallen to the ground between June and August; drying in the courtyard; de-pulping by hand; cracking the nut between two stones to free the kernel (the longest and most demanding step); light roasting over a wood fire for food oil (omitted for cosmetic oil); grinding with a hand mill; kneading and settling. About 100 kg of fruit are needed for 2–3 litres of oil.
iii. Women's cooperatives
Argan oil used to be produced domestically. The structuring into women's cooperatives since 1996, with the support of the NGO Targanine and INRA, has transformed the sector: today more than 200 cooperatives gather over 5,000 women members, with direct pay and access to literacy. Moroccan argan oil has held a PGI since 2009 and an AOC since 2010.
iv. Economy and exports
Moroccan production reaches about 4,000 tonnes a year, 80% of it exported to the EU, the United States and Japan, mainly as high-end cosmetics. The sector represents a turnover of around one billion dirhams. The main threat remains over-exploitation: INRA and the Water and Forests department have run an active replanting programme since 2010.