Part I – Into the Argan Forest

The 80 million year old species, Argania Spinosa is native to South West Morocco. Sheltered by the Souss valley, which created a unique biosphere tucked between the Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountain ranges, it was able to survive the last ice age. Of the 900,000 hectares of argan forests world-wide, 820,000 can be found in Morocco.

Hot gusts of desert wind slipped over then under my palm, as I tilted my hand out of the open car window. I watched small villages speckled with men carrying their produce to the souks (markets) on donkey’s back, drift into the dust cloud behind us. Occasionally I would catch the returned gaze of a man sipping his mint tea outside of a shop, or a scooter loaded with an entire family sputter by. In the front seat my partner Dana, traveling with me for this story, was talking business with Ulysses. A little less than a year ago, she had secured a contract with his company, effectively rendering her the exclusive supplier of Sidi-Yassine argan oil in the UK, where she trades under the name “Arganic”.  The rapidly growing interest in her product in London is also what sparked my desire to produce a story on argan oil, and through Dana I had some great leads on contacts working within the Moroccan argan biosphere.

A man prepares for a morning at the local souk (market) on the outskirts of Essaouira, Morocco.

As the long stretches of arid farmland slowly transformed into forests of argan trees, I knew we were getting closer to Essaouira, and also Ulysses’ home, which lies in the heart of the argan forest outside of Essaouira. “Of the 900,000 hectares of argan population worldwide, 820,000 can be found here in Morocco,” he later told me in an interview. “That essentially makes the argan tree unique to this global region, and argan oil a very rare commodity.”

The species, ‘Argania-Spinosa’, is an 80-million-year-old tree, the population of which is commonly understood to have been devastated throughout North Africa during the last ice age. The Souss valley, nestled between the Atlantic coast, the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas mountain ranges however, was able to provide a perfect shelter and optimum conditions for the survival of the species. This exceptionally distinctive biosphere was consequently declared a UNESCO reserve in 1998 (Charrouf, 1013). The trees have an average lifespan of around 200 years.

A young argan forest found along the Atlantic coast between Essaouira and Agadir, Morocco. The species, ‘Argania-Spinosa’, is an 80-million-year-old tree, the population of which is commonly understood to have been devastated throughout North Africa during the last ice age. The Souss valley, nestled between the Atlantic coast, the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas mountain ranges however, was able to provide a perfect shelter and optimum conditions for the survival of the species. This exceptionally distinctive biosphere was consequently declared a UNESCO reserve in 1998. The trees have an average lifespan of around 200 years.

After passing through the city of Essaouira and heading down towards Agadir we finally veered from the highway, taking a turn onto a small dirt road tucked between the twisting and exposed roots of an argan forest. “You might want take off your seatbelt,” Ulysses chuckled with a grin. It didn’t take long for me to understand why: The three of us bounced around inside the car, as he tackled the rough terrain in his 4×4, winding down the steep face of a slowly eroding hillside towards his property. I asked him why he didn’t have his road paved. “To keep out curious tourists,” he smiled, as he lit up a cigarette. “Constantly giving tours interferes with our business.”

The Sidi Yassine Argan Oil Production Facilities (Left) and Argan Fruit Storage Hangar (Right)

As I entered his home, which was elaborately designed by himself and his father, I couldn’t help but notice the nutty scent that constantly rose from the basement. “It’s where we press our oil” Ulysses explained. On the lower floor of his house rests the core of his business. Several state-of-the-art machines running at full capacity line the walls of a clinical looking facility. His employees, all wearing white lab coats, constantly check the output and maintenance needs of the press, and also manage the bottling and packaging from there.

Having worked in the advertising industry for 20 years, Ulysses decided to pack up his business, and move back to Morocco with his Berber wife and children. He has been in the ‘liquid gold’ industry for 10 years, and his goal with Sidi-Yassine is to produce the highest quality argan oil on the market. “Morocco is unique with this tree, because it yields an exclusive oil with distinguished health benefits for people. It is like a gem that can be dug up, polished and traded,” he noted.

Before the flesh is removed from a ripe argan fruit, it is laid out to dry. Storage conditions at this stage can heavily affect the quality of the oil after it is pressed.

It takes 30 kilograms of fruit and 15 hours of labor to produce just one liter of argan oil, which is pressed from kernels found in the olive-sized fruits that are harvested in July and August. A typical tree will enter maturity and begin to bear argan fruits around 15 years into its lifecycle. Before the kernel can be pressed, the hard outer-shell surrounding it must first be cracked, and the kernel removed. Several attempts have been made to mechanize this process, but due the delicate nature of the kernels themselves, no successful methods have been developed. Berber women, who have passed down the skill for generations, still solely operate this stage of production, using nothing but rocks and their bare hands to crack the shell and remove the kernel. Traditionally, the oil was also extracted by hand, but the process requires water, which actually causes the oil to oxidize very rapidly and is also less efficient in producing quantities for a competitive market. The mechanized press is becoming a standard; even in the smaller businesses I visited throughout Morocco.

A woman removes the kernels from the hard outer shell found in the argan fruit at a cooperative in Henchane. Women, who use rocks to crack the shell, traditionally practice this work. Before the kernel can be pressed for oil production, the hard outer-shell surrounding it must first be cracked, and the kernel removed. Several attempts have been made to mechanize this process, but due the delicate nature of the kernels themselves, no efficient methods have been developed. The shells provide great fuel for fires, burning hot and slow. They are sold on markets to potters, bakers and Hamams.

Argan oil is considered to be so valuable not only due to its rarity, but also because it is extremely rich in unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, sterols, and antioxidants. Scientific studies have proven its ability to lower cholesterol and provide protective properties to the cardiovascular system, as well as aid cell regeneration, and help prevent the onset of certain types of cancer (Charrouf 1016). As topical oil, it is becoming extremely popular in skin and hair care products due to scar-healing, anti-ageing and regenerative attributes. Throughout my stay in Morocco, I heard it referred to as “Liquid Gold” on several occasions.

“Until recently,” Ulysses explained, “the value of argan oil was not even recognized in this country. Moroccans would rather buy Chanel and various Western brands, or other natural cosmetic products like Aloe Vera. They often don’t recognize that they are sitting on one of the world’s most valuable treasures.”

The Argan fruit turns yellow as it ripens. Once it drops from the tree, it is ready to be harvested. The hard inner kernel is extracted, shelled, and cold pressed to produce argan oil. (Philipp Patrick Ammon)

Moving to Morocco, however, was not easy he told me. “It’s a very different world here. Not just because of the religion, but also because the business mentality is not comparable to that of Europe or North America.  Consequently, you find yourself doing the splits between your client needs abroad, and the limitations that come with living here.” I learned from him that more and more experienced Europeans are flocking to Morocco to try and set up their own argan oil businesses, but usually fail in the first year. “Working here as a foreigner requires flexibility, tolerance, and improvisational skills.”

But this hurdle works both ways. Many Moroccan businesses are finding it equally difficult to gain traction in the global market because of barriers that exist in the country. Additionally, the lack of capital often is a major deterrent in securely delivering goods to a market that will not tolerate inconsistencies. Ulysses shared his observation with me that “unfortunately there really are many tragic stories, in which somebody whole-heartedly tries to step into the business, and gets pulled apart by a crooked partner or official in the process. You have to imagine there are waypoints where things can go wrong. It can happen on the administrative level, but it can also happen on your first delivery of fruits, or later during a certification, or even in customs. There are so many places where you can run into an ‘accident’ that stops the oil from arriving abroad in the condition it was promised, 100% pure, or even arriving at all. Just one bad apple can ruin the reputation of the entire industry, effectively reducing the money available to conduct business in this trade.”

With a Moroccan wife, and mixed children, Ulysses doesn’t necessarily regard himself as a foreigner. Perhaps it is exactly this connection with both cultures that has helped him build such a successful business. Nevertheless, he is actively sharing trade strategies with other businesses in the region in hopes that one of them will manage to break through.

For the next installation of this story, please click here.  {Profit Driven Ecological Conservation through Argan Oil}

For the first installation of this story, please click here.