MOROCCO – Trade Partners UK Time for Trade
An overseas Trade publication Trade partners UK newsletter
Business Focus – Agriculture
Special edition March 2003
‘Oil is the essence of life’
It’s a delicious food oil and also an excellent skin care treatment.
Versatile argan, believed to be one of the most rare oils in the world, is produced from seeds of the argan tree, which grows only in the arid semi-desert areas of Morocco.
Ruth Hajioff, founder of Wild Wood Groves, is committed to developing ethical-trading in argan oil. After studying Moroccan herbal medicine she has spent the past two years setting up a joint business venture company in Morocco with Moulay Hassan Daoui called Bab el Oued d’Argan.
“We are constructing a production centre about 30km from Agadir. Trade Partners UK and the British Consulate in Casablanca have been very useful with general advice on how to get things done in the country” says Ruth Hajiof.
“We want to create an ethical trade production centre run on a stakeholder system” she explains. “We are planning to link with the Moroccan Tourist Board to organize tours of the centre as well as become involved in social development projects, such as education and onsite child care for employees children.”
Seeds from the Argan tree are harvested and turned into oil by Berber women using traditional methods. The tree has been around for about 25 million years and is an endangered species with UNESCO protection.
Ruth runs a stall at Borough market, near London Bridge on Saturdays promoting Argan and Morocco
