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Reda Semlani
Globalization and Indigeneity: The Socioeconomic Impact of the Moroccan Argan Oil Market on Amazigh Women
My honors thesis examines the socioeconomic impacts of the Argan market on indigenous North African (Amazigh) communities in the Southwest of Morocco. Specifically, the study focuses on the impact of the Argan market in three areas: quality of life, the relationship between the Amazigh and the Argan plant, and women’s empowerment. Through performing a difference-in- differences analysis using Morocco’s Census data between 1982 and 2004, the research shows that, after the Argan market boom, Argan-producing provinces have witnessed higher levels of literacy and access to sanitation and basic facilities than non-Argan-producing provinces. Nevertheless, using interviews collected during fieldwork in Agadir and Taroudant, I argue that although the Argan market has created new economic opportunities for Amazigh women, it did not increase their agency and did not emancipate them from their traditional societal roles. Additionally, the paper asserts that the increased value of the Argan oil forced a process of dispossession upon the Amazigh, which was exacerbated by the emergence of “fraudulent” cooperatives that do not pay the Argan workers fairly. The research contributes to the academic debate around the effect of globalization on indigenous communities in developing countries.
These pictures have been captured during my fieldwork in the provinces of Agadir and Taroudant, Morocco. The pictures show the Argan plant in its different forms, and explain the many processes that the plant undergoes in today’s Argan oil market. Each picture illustrates new opportunities, such as income and environmental protection, but also depicts new threats and challenges to the local Amazighs’ relationship with the Argan tree. Upon viewing this project, I ask the audience to reflect on the compromises that the indigenous Amazighs have to consider in their involvement in this emerging market.
More Than a Fruit. Azrarag, Morocco, December 2019. Digital photo taken by camera.
This photo illustrates the unripe fruit of an Argan tree. Hanging strongly from a twig, this fruit serves multiple uses. First, goats would climb up the tree and feed on the outside pulp, one of their favorite delicacies. When the fruit is ripe, it falls on the ground and is collected by local villagers who sell it in bulk to the cooperatives. The cooperatives, in turn, sell the shells as biofuel and use the seeds to produce Argan oil. Recently, and because Argan oil prices witness a surge outside harvesting season, there have been many incidents where people shake down the trees to collect the unripe fruits and sell them at higher rates. This phenomenon, as well as goat overgrazing, pose long-lasting threats to the Argan forest.
Nut Cracking. Taroudant, Morocco, December 2019. Digital photo taken by camera.
As a part of the Argan oil production process, the nuts are crushed between two stones in order to extract the kernels. While one hand holds the nut, the other hand hits it with the stone to crack it; a task that the Amazigh women perform with an immense speed. It takes a tremendous amount of courage, precision and experience to not hurt oneself with these heavy stones, which is why this know-how entered UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. Although this job provides Amazigh women with a modest income, it is continuously changing their relationship with the Argan tree. Currently, many families have abandoned the use of Argan oil in their diets due its increased monetary value.
Argan Shells. Azrarag, Morocco, December 2019. Digital photo taken by camera.
For the Amazigh women, this countless number of shells is the product of hours of labor. In fact, it takes at least 38 kilograms of Argan fruit (84 pounds) to produce one liter of oil. A few decades ago, Amazigh women produced oil together manually in order to celebrate major life events. Now, however, the work is half-mechanized and performed in cooperatives that often do not pay the women fairly.
While the Argan kernels go into a machine that grinds them for oil extraction, the shells end up in this pile. Waste? Certainly not… due to their high energy content, these are sold to many hammams (public baths) as biofuel. They are also used in some cosmetic products for their exfoliating properties.
Argan Tree. Azrarag, Morocco, December 2019. Digital photo taken by camera.
The majestic Argan tree is endemic to Morocco’s southwest. With its polyvalent nature, the Argan tree’s purpose is multifaceted: it provides food for animals, oil-rich seeds for humans, and protection for everyone. The Argan forest is located at the door of the Sahara Desert, and its strong roots and branches offer a shield against the encroachment of the desert towards the northern, more populated regions of the country. For centuries, this tree has been an important aspect of Amazigh culture and a central figure in rituals and ceremonies. However, as the cost of Argan oil increases, the Amazigh’s relationship with the plant consistently changes, and the damages imposed on the tree allow for desertification and shrinkage of the Argan forest.
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