The argan oil project: going from utopia to reality in 20 years

Abstract

The “argan oil project” is nowadays considered as an economic success that harmoniously combined sustainable development, integrated research-action and socio-economic progress. Actually, it was a long battle whose main stages are presented here. The main stages of the argan oil project include a detailed chemical study of argan oil in order to certify argan oil quality and establish an official quality norm and obtain a geographic indication, pharmacological analyses to certify cosmetic argan oil safety, and finally a strong desire to develop Moroccan rural areas by implementing women’s cooperatives and easing the women’s access to education.