ARGAN
OIL
 The “Tree of life” in Morocco
Known as the “Tree of Life” to the Berbers for the many health
benefits it brings, this spiny tree (argania spinosa) grows exclusively
in the south-west of Morocco in the Souss Plain, where there are
21 million trees covering almost 800,000 hectares.
As a rare and endangered species, the argan forest was declared an
International Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1998.
The argan tree can reach a height of between 8 and 10 metres and
some have been known to live as long as 200 years. The root system
extends to a considerable depth, which helps to protect against soil
erosion and hold back the encroachment by the Sahara Desert.
The tree bears hermaphrodite flowers which appear in May or June and
are greenish yellow, or sometimes white. These are followed by the
fruit. The fruit is an oval berry, the size and shape of a large olive, which contains a nut with one or two
seeds. A tree can produce up to 8 kg of fruit per year, i.e. an average of 128,000 tonnes per year for all the
Moroccan argan trees.
 Argan oil
An ancestral tradition
The production of argan oil and its by-products is the preserve of the
Berber women, and the techniques of argan oil extraction are based
on traditional knowledge that has been passed from mothers to
daughters of Berber families down the centuries.
The result is a miracle oil, which finally found its way across the
Mediterranean to Europe and the rest of the world a few years ago.
Between June and August, they harvest the ripe fruit that has fallen
to the ground.
This fruit is dried for several weeks in the sun, then the women
crack the nut between two rocks to extract the precious, oil-rich seeds. The nut is reputed to be sixteen
times harder than a hazelnut.
This work is hard : in one working day, a woman can produce from 1 to 1.5 kg of seeds. 100 kg of ripe fruit
will become 60 kg of dry fruit : 30 kg of dry pulp and 30 kg of nuts. Of the 30 kg of nuts, only 3 kg of seeds
will be extracted. That 3 kg of seed will provide around 1 liter of oil after cold pressing.
The seeds are ground to a paste using a rotary hand stone and a quern. Water is then added to the paste
and it is squeezed by hands to extract the oil. This manual process extracts 70 % of the oil from the seeds.
The « miraculous » oil
Argan oil has always been used by the Berbers of the Atlas Mountains as protection from the harsh
climatic conditions ; the strong winds and the burning sun. Throughout their lives, they use it for :
• massaging babies and infants,
• healing over chicken pox spots,
• treating eczema and adolescent acne,
• softening the skin of pregnant women and preventing stretch marks,
• massaging into the joints to treat rheumatism in adults,
• cooking in traditional Moroccan dishes.
 Benefits
Cosmetics
Argan oil contains exceptionally high levels of essential fatty acids, including linoleic acid (omega-6),
which has a structural effect on membran fluidity and contribute to the barrier function of the
epidermis. Essential fatty acids also counter drying and loss of elasticity in skin, helping to prevent or
delay wrinkling; the skin becomes more supple and more toned.
This action against skin ageing is reinforced by very high levels of gamma tocopherols which are one of
the most powerful biological anti-oxidants in neutralizing free radicals. It also protects cell membranes
from lipid oxidation, thereby slowing the skin’s ageing process.
Argan oil has high sterols content, specially of schottenol (44 to
49%) which has inhibitive properties of the cellular development.
With this composition, argan oil can also advantageously replace
the cholesterol in cosmetics, without risking an increase of the
blood rates of cholesterol.
Also five triterpenic alcohols were identified in the argan oil
including lupeol (7,1%) which has anti-inflammatory properties.
Its specific biochemical composition confers interesting
properties to argan oil for cosmetics applications.
Cooking
Argan oil is also a common ingredient in tajines and couscous.
It was recently introduced to European cuisine by top chefs and it
is now used as a base for many types of seasonings and can also be
combined with fish and meats.
Argan oil is often served with honey to guests in Morocco, as a sign
of hospitality, in the same way as tea.
 Production
Oil Mill
MAROGANIA has a fully-equipped facility for grinding the seeds to
extract the oil using the cold-press process. This facility is 20 km
from Agadir in Morocco, in the heart of the forest of Argan Trees.
Marogania can produce 300 tons of argan oil per year, and is the
leading producer of high quality and competitively priced argan
oil in Morocco, meeting the needs of the rapidly growing overseas
market whilst supporting the local Berber population and helping
to promote and maintain the preservation of the forest
of Argan trees.
Quality
On delivery of the extracted seeds to Marogania, a detailed quality
control analysis is undertaken in its laboratory. Following this analysis, the seeds are ground and then coldpressed to extract their oil. The oil is then passed through a filtration process and is subjected to a further
quality control test before being packed and shipped to Europe and the rest of the world.
Marogania is organic certified by Ecocert and offers organic argan
oil according to NOP standards and regulation CE 889/2008.
To meet your application requirements, we propose a wide choice of argan oils :
Virgin / Deodorized virgin / Roasted / Organic certified by Ecocert.
 Sustainable Development
The argan tree has been a versatile part of Berber village life and its economy for a long time :
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Its strong wood (it is also called the Moroccan “Ironwood” tree) is used for construction or fuel.
Its leaves are used to feed goats.
Its seeds are used in argan oil production.
Its deep roots mean that it is an excellent barrier against the spread of the desert.
It provides shade for the fauna and flora that balance the region’s ecosystem.
Thousands of people earn their living from its cultivation, whether directly or indirectly.
This 80-million-year-old tree species is nonetheless threatened, and each year around 600 hectares
of argan trees disappear. In spite of its resistance to drought (it can survive dormant with negligible
water for a dozen years), the density of trees in the argan forest in Morocco was reduced by two thirds
in a short space of fifty years.
In order to be an active participant of the sustainable
development in Morocco, Marogania co-workers have founded
the association Marocavie to support projects that aim at:
ighting against the spread of the desert and slowing down
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the rural exodus
In Biougra region: Marocavie has supplied and installed a
water pump to irrigate dried plots of agricultural land.
Improving the education of the children
In Essaouira region: Marocavie brings its support to schools by
financing school furniture, constructions of sanitary facilities,
surrounding walls and electric connections.
“ We reap what our fathers have sown and we sow for our children”
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
 Contact us
E-mail : [email protected] / Web site : www.marogania.com
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