For over 20 years, we have been involved in supporting a women's cooperative in the Arganeraie region, which enables the Berber tribe to manage the entire value chain themselves, from harvesting to processing. This model enables the women to operate independently of factory owners and to benefit fully from local value creation. In our cooperative, the production of argan oil is traditionally the task of the Berber women, which enables them to improve their income. The cooperative is located in the heart of the 8000 square kilometer Arganeraie, an area that has been recognized as a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1998. This is where the unique argan trees thrive.

We attach great importance to traditional production methods and follow the UNESCO guidelines for the biosphere reserve. UNESCO recognizes these production methods as intangible cultural heritage. In concrete terms, this means that the protected argan trees are not damaged. Only free-roaming goats are allowed to climb the trees. Only fruit found on the ground is collected, without shaking the trees or picking the fruit directly.

After harvesting, the fruit is dried for a longer period of time and the pulp is then removed by hand, which means around 30% less waste and resource conservation compared to industrial production and secures jobs in rural areas. The fruit is roasted to intensify the aroma and then cold-pressed in a press at a low temperature. The pressed argan oil then undergoes a special treatment, including multiple filtration with a particularly fine filter. This guarantees a high-quality product and provides work and income for over 200 women in the cooperative.

In addition to marketing the high-quality argan oil, we also offer the cooperative support in the form of specialist knowledge. Our agricultural engineers visit the cooperative regularly and advise them on all aspects of argan oil production.

In contrast to our method, industrial production often uses fruit from different sources, sometimes uses shaking machines without permission and processes in factories. This affects the livelihoods of many Berber families and often forces them to leave their traditional lands. To counteract this, the government has encouraged the establishment of cooperatives, but many of them are dependent on factories and lose a significant part of their added value as a result.