Moroccan Argan oil is a nutritious, healing oil – and its production is now helping to save the endangered tree it comes from, and support women in Morocco.
Ruth Hajioff from London is setting up a fair trade women’s project in Morocco to produce Argan oil. ‘I enjoyed Argan oil, in cooking and massage, many times in Morocco, and decided to find out more about it,’ says Ruth. ‘When I learnt that the Argan tree now only grows in one small area of Morocco, I wanted to help. The oil has many purposes – it can help conditions such as rheumatism and is great for skin, hair and nails. Seeds from the fruit are hand-crushed by Berber women using stones. I realized this was a great opportunity to help improve the Berber women’s socio-economic conditions and support conservation. I was filmed in an interview to be presented to the King of Morocco, who is interested in the project.’
Our Argan oil co-operative is a great way to improve workers’ conditions and support conservation,’ says Ruth.