Women's Cooperatives in Souss-Massa: The Story Behind Argan Oil
Written by Hussam Aitelqadi · Founder of AZOURANE · Sarajevo
Argania spinosa grows only in a narrow strip of southwestern Morocco, from the vicinity of Essaouira to the foothills of the Antiatlas. Its root sinks deep, to the water. Tolerates heat and little rain annually. Outside of that belt, it is not there. It is not planted in plantations, it is not cloned, it is not moved to a cheaper country.
That's why every argan oil in the world comes from that one belt. And that's why the work around him remained in the hands of the women who live there.
Souss-Massa and Agadir area
For AZOURANE, argan starts in Souss-Massa, in the Agadir area. This is where the fruit is picked, opened and pressed through knowledge that is transmitted through work and everyday craft.
AZOURANE works with collectives in Souss-Massa. The seeds are harvested by hand, and the oil is obtained by traditional cold pressing in small batches. The source and mode of operation remain clearly stated.
Hand work before oil
Behind every liter of oil are hours of manual work. The women sit in a circle on a mat and break the bones between two stones. Three stone shells, one almond core.
The shot must be accurate. Strong enough to crack the shell, soft enough to keep the core intact. The pressure is missed, the work fails.
The women sing while they work, and the song follows the movement of the stone. In older collectives, this rhythm is part of the training: the new member learns the exact beat by learning the song. When the song sits by itself, so does the beat. Thus production remains uniform without any industrial control.
Knowledge passes from mother to daughter. Harvesting, drying, cracking, frying, grinding, squeezing, all in stages, all oral, all through imitation.
Why direct relationship has value
The argan for AZOURANE comes from Souss-Massa, the region around Agadir. The seeds are harvested by hand and the oil is cold-pressed using the traditional method. When we talk about the source, we are talking about a real relationship with collectives and places that know argan from fruit to oil.
AZOURANE works with more than 160 women's cooperatives across Morocco, and the argan comes from a collective in Souss-Massa. In that region, knowledge about the fruit and the oil is passed down from generation to generation.
How AZOURANE picks argan
We work with collectives in Souss-Massa for the argan oil that goes into our formulas and the standalone bottle. The names of the collectives remain private by agreement, and cooperation is built through regular orders.
That's what we do. We buy continuously, we pay part of the order in advance, we keep the price stable throughout the season. When we sell something with argan in it, the money goes back down that same pipe.
For the customer, the most important thing is simple: 100% argan oil comes from a clear source, is cold pressed and is intended for cosmetic care of the face, hair, nails and dry areas.
What's available with us
If you want the finished product from this story, start with 100% Argan Oil . One bottle has 30 ml and is used in a small amount on the face, ends of the hair, nails and dry areas.
More context about the brand in our story . For the composition and use of the oil, guide to argan oil in BiH .
