Commodity chain : Argan - Province of Taroudant
- Country :
- Morocco
- Production area :
- In the Anti-Atlas mountain, at an altitude of 1,200 metres (4,000 feet), in the village (doaur) of Tazrilit, Province of Taroudant.
- Start date of the Organic Fair Trade program :
- 2008
- Number of recipients :
- 300 pickers in 35 villages of the Indouzal mountain, between 120 and 200 women for crushing and 4 permanent employees
- Crop :
- Argan tree (Argania Spinoza)
- Surface area :
- 5,000 ha (12,000 acres) of production in the wild
Background History of the Project
Following discussions carried out in 2008 with women argan pickers, cultivation of argan started to grow again. A great number of women were indeed using the branches of the tree for fire as argan was rather unused in Indouzal. Following the partnership between Léa Nature (1st buyer in the North) and Argan Aouzac, commitments on minimum prices were taken, and actions for the development of the chain were implemented.
Local Partners
Argan Aouzac, a Tazrilit association which receives the fair premium paid by international partners -1% of the traded amount- for the development, the cooperation and the environment.
Context/Stakes
The villages of the Anti-Atlas concerned by the project are isolated. A great share of the population does not have a stable economic activity and women are often the majority, as men tend to work in Casablanca. The picking and crushing of argan nuts allow for an economical development of the region.
The purpose is to continue to improve living conditions in the various mountain villages and to give the populations access to healthcare and education to make their daily life easier.
The Moroccan Anti-Atlas is located 2 hours drive from Agadir and hour drive from Taroudant.
Program Description
Upon starting the project in 2008, Argan Aouzac had drilled a well to give water to the thirty families of Tazrilit. Argan Aouzac also committed itself to the implementation of street lighting in the village.
For their part, foreign partners of the argan chain contributed to:
- the equipment of the school canteen with an oven and other equipments;
- the implementation of a waste collection system in Tazrilit (installation of tanks and organisation of picking rounds) to protect the environment;
- An Earth Day, by giving 5,000 olive trees to the villagers to diversify crops in the Indouzal mountain;
- The implementation of a weaving workshop in the village;
- The opening of a tarmac road to open up the village and to facilitate transport of villagers (for example towards the hospital of Teroudant);
- The implementation of a buying price for the crops at a level which is 10% higher than that of the market and of a long term visibility on buying volumes.
Company engaged in this Commodity Chain
EURO-NAT (Second buyer), LABORATOIRES NATESCIENCE
