Mechanisation Pushes Argan Oil Profits For Morocco

A Moroccan university professor’s interest in the economic preservation of the declining Argan tree has resulted in women harvesting the tree’s valuable oil increasing their income by more than ten times.
The Argan tree is an ancient species that formerly spanned most of North Africa, but due to over-harvesting for timber and livestock grazing has seen its range limited to southwestern Morocco. The trees produce nuts, which in turn contain almond-shaped pods which, when crushed and processed, yield oil that is valued for its taste and flavor across Morocco. This rare Argan oil is used in couscous, salads and for dipping breads. Rich in vitamin E, phenols and caratenes, it is also used to treat skin conditions and has recently found favor in the cosmetics industry.

Zoubida Charrouf, a professor at Mohamed V. University in Morocco, initially developed an interest in the tree and its oil for conservation reasons, but has since improved the extraction of oil by establishing processing cooperatives – such as the Ajddigue and Taitmatine cooperatives – run entirely by local women.  This commercialisation of Argan oil has boosted business in the cooperatives and emancipated the women by offering them a meaningful livelihood. Charrouf says that Argan Oil “should readily find a place of choice amid the most profitable oils for human health”. Celebrities as diverse as Sophie Dahl, model and writer, and Heston Blumenthal, one of Britain’s leading chefs, are fans.

  The commercialization was achieved by mechanizing some of the tedious production tasks, such as grinding the nuts and pressing the oil. This sped up the operation and also improved the quality of the oil, doubled its shelf life, and reduced waste. Membership in the cooperatives now ranges from 35 to 40 women, who now earn about $8.60 a day, an increase of more than ten times from when the projects began in 1997. Argan oil is now a high value niche product on the international market, and what began as a cottage industry could now provide more employment to Moroccan women.
”At the time [the project started], we were losing more than 600 hectares of Argan forest each year,” says Charrouf. “But we also wanted to convert this ecological problem into an economic opportunity. I knocked at several doors, but no one believed in my project. Now Argan oil is known around the world.” The economic opportunity that Charrouf uncovered for Moroccan women is now being supported with grants from the Moroccan government and the European Union.
“Being part of the cooperative freed me from tedious domestic work in people’s homes,” said one member of the Taitmatine cooperative. “Now I’m learning to read and write and I’ve learned how to ensure the quality of the Argan kernels. The cooperative has made me more independent. I’ve been able to visit other cooperatives in other provinces. I’ve seen how girls and women like me have been able to shape their own destiny and move ahead to develop their cooperatives.”

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Stuff I Love: One 'n Only Argan Oil Curl Cream

I am sure that wherever you are, you are experiencing a heat wave unlike any other. I have not been heat styling my natural hair, because it's pointless, I'd be sweating my hair out before my flat iron would reach my ends! I've been rocking my curls all summer, and running through product like crazy. I am a product junkie and my bathroom cabinet is full of different things I may have bought but didn't love. In order to pare down my product overload and not be wasteful, I have been going through my cabinets and experimenting with what I have to see if something would work better in combination with some of my other stuff. All natural girls know it's all about experimenting to find the right combo for your hair!

I purchased One 'n Only Argan Oil Curl Cream a while ago when Sally's was having a ridiculous sale. I'm a frugalista, so when they have a buy 3 get one free, on top of my Sally's discount and I had a coupon for another free item, I grabbed almost everything in the product line. I loved the Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner immediately. I also snatched up the hair mask and Argan oil, and those are also favorties. But I didn't love the Curl Cream off the bat, it was too heavy for my hair. So I used it on my son's hair, since it needs a lot of moisture. Read more at  Conventional Culture

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I had a bad hair experience two days ago. I was visiting my boyfriends mother in Phoenix. She used to be a hairdresser and I asked her if she would mind touching up my roots. I am a natural brunette and have blonde highlights and a lighter base color. We bought all of the stuff at Sally and when she was done with the process the roots were orange as was some orange streaks in the length. She thought maybe one more process would lighten them so she did it again, still orange. It was awful. I almost cried and told her just to put a single process chemical free dye on it and that would be that although I didn't want to go dark I had no choice, I wasn't putting anymore chemicals on my hair. Long story short, she has a friend who is a hairdresser and she took me to her salon (she "knows an emergency when she hears one") and put a gentle violet based red allover and foiled some highlights.

She also used argan oil and gave me several little packets to try. She told me my hair was still very healthy after all it went through but I do really like the oil. Is it good stuff? Will it help my hair recover? Is it good for routine maintenance? I know nothing about this stuff. Thank you. read more...