Liquid Gold: Berber Women and the Argan Oil Co-operatives in Morocco

The argan tree, endemic to Morocco, is generally regarded as the last barrier against the encroaching Sahara desert. For centuries, argan oil extracted from the fruits has also played a unique role in the diet, rituals and personal care of the Berbers, an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa. In 2014, ... argan, practices and know-how concerning the argan tree was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, thus making the tree a rare instance of worldwide natural and cultural interest. The aim of this paper is to examine how the Berber women and the co-operatives they form have helped in transmitting the wealth of argan-related skills, knowledge, and material culture. We conclude that several actions are needed to enforce the safeguarding of this ICH element. Firstly, although the use of millstones is integral to traditional oil-making, their use is, by and large, not continued in the co-operatives. Research should be conducted to document the craftsmanship of millstone-making. Secondly, at present, little attention is being directed towards the management side of the co-operatives, but to ensure the widest possible community participation, co-operatives must strive to reach sustainable growth. Thirdly, the rising oil price has caused many Berbers to be sparing in their use of the oil. The government should keep a close watch on the annual production and exports of the oil to further analyse changes in consumption, and they must find a way to bring the oil back into the life of the Berbers.