The ARGAN program in Morocco

The Argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) is a tree indigenous to southern Morocco, and is largely found in the south-east of Essaouria on the Souss plain, bordering the Sahara desert. The Argan forest extends over approximately 800,000 hectares and contains more than 20 million trees. Its fruit contains a very hard kernel which holds between one and three seeds, from which a valuable oil can be extracted. From the kernel of the Argan nut and leaves, Cognis Care Chemicals active ingredients business Laboratoires Sérobiologiques extracts the protein based product Argatensyl, the oil Lipofructyl Argan, and the active ingredient Arganyl.

The Argan forest acts as a natural barrier against the advance of the desert. Unfortunately, it is in decline, as a result of changes to rural lifestyles. Over-exploitation, soil erosion and desertification have all played a part, and as a result, Unesco classified the Argan forest as a Biosphere Reserve (RBA) in 1998. This designation is given to selected inland and coastal ecosystems where modern development can be reconciled with the conservation of biodiversity in practical ways.

In 2001, Laboratoires Sérobiologiques and Prof. Zoubida Charrouf of Rabat’s Mohamed V University, the founder of the local cooperative network “Targanine”, set up a partnership with the aim to protect the biological richness of the Argan forest, to ensure sustainable trade and to support local population, while developing the commercial potential of the region. more

Action taken

  • Cooperation with local partners. Laboratoires Sérobiologiques and Prof. Zoubida Charrouf have studied the potential value of the Argan tree’s leaves and by-products of the oil production, resulting in the commercialization of two active ingredients from Argan fractions previously non-exploited: Argatensyl is a protein complex from the oil cake with skin-tightening properties. From the leaves of the tree it extracts Arganyl, a flavonoid’s rich active that protects the skin from premature aging. And Lipofructyl Argan is the cosmetic grade of the edible Argan oil, a high-purity oil rich in predominantly unsaturated fatty acids and natural tocopherols, that is used in regenerative products for skin, hair and nail care.
  • Sustainable approach. An impact study conducted by Laboratoires Sérobiologiques in partnership with the Moroccan Water and Forests Authorities, has set clear guidelines for harvesting the Argan biomass in order to ensure its long term preservation in parallel to its economical use.
  • Educational programs. To foster a better understanding of the value of the Argan tree and involving the local population in the protection, educational programs on environmental protection have been implemented. The initial trainer of the educational programs – a thesis student payed by Laboratoires Sérobiologiques – trained a local expert, who in turn trained 30 groups of women in the cooperatives.
  • Partnership in local initiatives. Laboratoires Sérobiologiques supplies itself directly and exclusively through the local co-operative network Targanine. These organizations are mainly made up of women and guarantee a work force salary at least equal to the local minimum salary. The potential extra revenues are encouraging local communities to maintain and expand Argan forests, following the recommendations of the impact study. 

    Also, in cooperation with the French organization Yamana, processes are being implemented in order to secure objective fair sharing of benefits with our local partners.
Results

  • Protection of the Argan forest. Strict guidelines are followed during the harvesting and exploitation of the Argan natural resources, as recommended by the impact study from Laboratoires Sérobiologiques and the Moroccan Water and Forests Authorities.
  • Reforestation. As a result of various education campaigns on environmentally-sound agricultural practices and implementation of the reforestation guidelines, since 2004, the reforested area has increased from 540 hectares to over 1500 hectares, as the result of joined efforts between various stakeholders within the Argan supply chain.
  • Environmentally responsible processes. Guidelines for sourcing guarantee that the Argan biomass is cultivated and harvested without using any chemical treatment, pesticides or fertilizers. Not only has the Argan oil been certified organic in accordance with the European regulation for organic farming for many years, but more recently, Laboratoires Sérobiologiques acquired a certification for the Argan oil in accordance with the Ecocert Standard for Ecological and Organic Cosmetics.
  • Sustainable trade. Benefit sharing is guaranteed by our pricing policy to the cooperatives. The price we pay to the local producers is at least equal to the market price. In fact, the Argan oil is certified in accordance with the fair trade criteria of Bio-Equitable.
  • Local empowerment. In a technical partnership between Laboratoires Sérobiologiques and local experts, new ways of processing other parts of the Argan tree have been identified. These include by-products of the Argan oil production. Thus, the revenue of the local cooperatives are both increased and diversified.
  • Transparency. We inform our local partners about the evolution of the market place and the Laboratoires Sérobiologiques commercial strategy.
  • Social benefits. Our network of approved cooperatives employs a mainly female workforce, literacy and educational programs are offered. Thereby we improve women’s integration into the society and their social status.

Evaluation
“The cosmetic industry has felt the benefits of globalization for many years now, as it has led to an exchange of ideas between different regions and increased access to exotic materials,” comments Isabelle Benoit, Global Marketing Manager of Laboratoires Sérobiologiques, on the use of natural resources in cosmetics and the Argan program. “So it is only right that as a responsible company we pay attention to sustainability at a global level, including the fair sharing of profits and the respectful collaboration with local communities. Sourcing should be diversified and carried out in an environmentally responsible manner that is compatible with socio-economic considerations. The only way to protect biodiversity, and our shared heritage, is by working closely together with local communities.”

German Version 
Argan Case Study

"We are on the right track" - Interview with Prof. Charrouf
English Version
German Version


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