Why is Moroccan argan oil so rare?

Where does argan oil come from?

Argan oil is made from the seeds of the argan tree. This ancient tree used to grow across the whole of north Africa, but now it only grows in southwest Morocco, on a small strip of arid land between the Atlantic coast and the Atlas Mountains.

The argan tree has even been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list because it is so rare. The tree is also popular in the building industry, as the wood is extremely strong. Nowadays there are strict rules for the felling of argan trees, but the number of surviving trees has rapidly declined and the argan tree is still threatened with extinction.

How is argan oil produced?

The argan tree is not only rare, but the production process of argan oil is also very specific and time-consuming. The argan fruit must first ripen, fall from the tree and turn brown. Then, the fruit is sun-dried, the peels are removed by hand and the pulp is removed to reveal the argan nut.

1 litre of argan oil = 40 kg of argan fruit

In retrieving the oil-rich seeds, the nut must be cracked in a specific way so as to preserve its structure. For one litre of argan oil, you need 20 kg of argan nuts – approximately 40 kg of argan fruit!

1 litre of argan oil = 2 hours of grinding

After cracking the nut, the argan seeds are ground using an age-old, time-consuming method. Two hours of grinding produces one litre of oil. There are modern machines that can speed up the grinding process, but most argan oil producers in Morocco still prefer the traditional method. The machines are also very expensive.

Time-consuming and unique

All in all, the production of one litre of argan oil takes about 24 hours of work. This combined with the rarity of the argan tree is what makes argan oil so rare – and, therefore, quite valuable. But it’s worth it, as illustrated by the fact that people in Morocco have been making it for centuries.

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