Household and local forest impacts of Morocco's argan oil bonanza

Abstract

Morocco's argan oil is now the most expensive edible oil in the world. Growing high-value argan markets have sparked a bonanza of argan activity. NGOs, international and domestic development agencies, and argan oil cooperatives have promoted the win–win aim of simultaneously benefiting locals and the argan forest. We test this win–win claim by surveying households before and after rapid appreciation in argan prices. The argan boom has benefited some rural households. Those well positioned to benefit increased their goat herds more than other households, which bodes poorly for forest impacts, and were more likely to send their girls to secondary school. While locals are keeping their goats out of argan trees during the harvest, they may also be resorting to more aggressive harvesting techniques. The boom has made households vigilant guardians of fruit on their own trees, but has not incited investments in longer term tree and forest health.

Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest

“…In this section, we first synthesize results from a recent microanalysis of the local impacts of the argan oil boom on how rural households interact with argan markets, what benefits arise from their market participation, and how their use of the forest has evolved (29). Building on this microanalysis, we present the results of mesoanalyses that test the win-win claims at a more aggregated landscape level.…”

“…As described in detail elsewhere (29), we use panel household data from Essaouira Province to assess the impact of the argan boom on households and their exploitation of the forest (Fig. S1).…”

“…Specifically, we assess how households' access to argan fruit in 1999-an indicator of ex ante potential to benefit from the argan boom-affected three types of household welfare outcomes: consumption (spending at market), assets (livestock holdings), and children's education (complete details in ref. 29).…”

Gendered Dimensions of Key Value Chains in Southwestern Morocco

“…Lybbert [19], for instance, argues that the argan 'boom' has led to disproportionate benefits for rural households and no appreciable impact on forest health. Well-off households invest in increased goat herds, as well as more aggressive harvesting techniques (harvesting with sticks to knock down fruit).…”

“…Well-off households invest in increased goat herds, as well as more aggressive harvesting techniques (harvesting with sticks to knock down fruit). It is argued that these have had significant impacts on degradation, productivity of argan trees, and therefore on incomes from argan oil production [19].…”