18/01/2021
Argan oil comes from Unesco protected trees which only grow in a small part of Morocco—there have been attempts to grow them in places with similar climates and it hasn't worked. We work with over 600 Berber women who get paid per sack, which is an easy transaction to understand. A lot of the women are illiterate as many didn't have the privilege of education. It also allows them to work flexibly. We don't pick from the tree, we wait for them to drop and harvest the fruit then. After harvest, the fruit are left to dry in the sun, peeled using a stoners tool and then the kernels are cracked to get the seeds which involves a technique which gets handed down. I spent two years researching argan oil when I started the business 11 years ago, learning some local language, trying to integrate with the people, staying over at people's houses in remote places, eating lots of tagine and feeling like I made a connection. I wouldn't feel comfortable selling a product that represents the people and culture, if I didn't understand those things.
📸 and interviewed by
