Ajddigue Women's Argan Cooperative

As a doctoral student at Mohammed V University in Rabat in the mid-1980s, Zoubida Charrouf studied argan trees. These indigenous flora, which grow in concentrated clusters only in the arid semi-desert climate of southern Morocco, look like gnarled wild cousins of the domesticated olive tree. The trees produce nuts, and inside each nut are a few almond shaped pods which, when crushed and processed, yield an oil that is valued for its taste and flavor across Morocco.

The argan tree is a relic of the Tertiary age—an ancient species that formerly spanned most of North Africa. Today, due in part to overharvesting for timber and livestock grazing, its range is limited to southwestern Morocco, prompting UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to make the area a biosphere reserve in 1998. The argan tree has a deep root system that is resistant to drought and helps prevent soil erosion, critical ecological functions in the semi-arid lands north of the Sahara.

The oil of the argan fruit has been eaten by Berbers in Morocco for centuries, and is today used across Morocco in couscous, salads and for dipping breads. Rich in vitamin E, phenols, and carotenes, the oil was traditionally used to treat skin conditions and has more recently found favor in the cosmetics industry. Despite its current cachet, argan oil remains one of the world’s rarer oils.

Zoubida was fascinated by the argan’s biology, ecology, sociology, and economics. She saw how important the argan tree had become to the region of southern Morocco and was impressed that women were primarily responsible for harvesting its oil for their own food and cosmetics. She also was alarmed that the tree was rapidly disappearing. Zoubida wanted to figure out a way to preserve the argan tree and to empower women economically while they harvested it.

Zoubida founded the Ajddigue cooperative in 1997 to mechanize argan oil production and thereby widen the market for the oil, generate new work opportunities to local women, and provide new protections to the argan groves. Originally considered a marginal business, the cooperative today has 60 Moroccan woman members and continues to grow.