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THE ARGAN TREE or Argania Spinosa is truly
fascinating and unique, believed to date back to the Tertiary
period, it once covered North Africa and parts of Southern Europe.
It was first reported by the explore Leo Africanus in 1510. An early
specimen was taken to Amsterdam and then cultivated by Lady Beaufort
at Badminton c1711. Now only 860,000 hectares remain in S.W. Morocco and these are declining at a rate of 50,000h per year. Measures are being put in place to protect this rare and endangered species and in 1999 the argan was listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Heritage. We believe that providing a fair income from producing argan oil from the seeds encourages protection of the tree which has been used in the past for building purposes or as charcoal. For this reason our logo has been designed using the argan tree as its central focus and our hope is that future generations will be able to support themselves from their unique heritage. Known as the Tree of Life this tree can support the local population and its livestock during drought periods. The fruit sustains goats, the leaves provide forage for camels and sheep, whilst cattle live off the press cake that remains after the oil is made. |