Network for the Valorization of Plant Materials (VPMA)

Valorisation de l'arganier (Maroc)
(97-8602)

Principal investigators: 
Dr. Zoubida Charrouf: Université Mohamed IV, Rabat (Maroc)
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Faiçal Benchekroun: Institut agronomique et vétérinaire  Hassan II, Rabat (Maroc) 

In Morocco, the aim of the Valorisation de l'arganier (Maroc) Project is to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity in the South-West of Morocco, through the development and the transfer of a package of technologies needed for sustainable utilisation of various products from argan tree by women groups of that region. The argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) is an endemic tree in Morocco and the second important one in the country after the oak and before the thuja. It is very resistant to dryness and heat. It grows naturally in the semi-arid and arid zones of the South-West of Morocco, where it plays a vital role in maintaining ecological equilibrium and in preserving biodiversity. Hence, it highly contributes to prevent desertification of that region by protecting the soil against water and wind erosions. The argan oil is edible and is also used in  traditional medicine. About three million people depend on the argan forest for subsistence. The project is working to increase the potential production of the argan tree by improving the traditional techniques for the extraction of argan oil, and by conducting required chemical and pharmacological studies and formulations of various argan oil derived products. 

Web site: http://www.casanet.net.ma/arganier/