The Argan tree, also known as the “tree of life,” is vital to the economic and cultural well-being of many Moroccans, and Moroccan women in particular are playing a crucial role in preserving the Argan forests, reported the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in an article posted on its website on Monday.
Argan oil is used in cooking and cosmetics as well as hair products and is produced almost exclusively in Morocco. While local communities use the oil for medicinal purposes and feed their livestock with the tree’s fruit, leaves, and seed pulp, Morocco’s export of Argan oil has become a multi-billion-dollar industry throughout the world, with demand for the precious oil increasing.
According to the director of the Union of Argan Oil Women’s Cooperatives in Agadir, Jamila Idbourrous, women are playing an essential role in conserving the Argan tree forests. It is women who painstakingly separate the precious nut from the kernel in order to obtain the tiny amount of oil each seed contains.
Fadma Haddi, a woman from Agadir, and other women like her have been practicing sustainable harvesting of the Argan nut for generations, according to UNFPA. Her livelihood is closely connected with the Argan forests. She cultivates Argan trees and harvests their nuts to produce the oil in a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and sustainable way.
Fadma’s work has become even more important as the global climate crisis intensifies. According to UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem, rising temperatures have caused Morocco’s forests to shrink, posing a threat to the lives and futures of the women and girls who rely on them.
UNFPA’s research shows that climate change has also increased the risk of gender-based violence, hindered access to sexual and reproductive health services, and worsened maternal health outcomes. The impact of climate change on the Argan forests also puts women and girls at risk of poverty, dropping out of school, and becoming vulnerable to violence and harmful practices like child marriage.
To address these challenges, UNFPA launched a coalition of NGOs dubbed “We-Men Engaged for Change,” the first coalition acting for social, climate and gender justice in Morocco. Only a year old, the coalition is focusing on helping women and girls tackle climate change-related issues.
Haddi’s cooperative is a member of this coalition, which is working to improve the skills and opportunities of at-risk women and girls, particularly those living in rural areas.
“The initiative is focused squarely on women and girls that are at risk of being left behind, especially girls that are not studying or working, and living in rural areas,” said UNFPA’s assistant representative for Morocco, Abdel-Ilah Yaakoubd.
Haddi is emblematic of the program’s success. Joining the women’s cooperative has provided her with regular reliable income. The monthly payment she receives for her work in the Argan forests helps her with household expenses and supports her children staying in school.