In recent decades, argan oil has become one of the most expensive cosmetic oils on world markets. This review outlines the social and environmental context of the argan boom, highlighting its consequences on local livelihoods and conservation. It examines the claims that the argan oil boom has benefited the local population and that it encourages the conservation of argan woodlands.
CharroufZ, GuillaumeD. (2008) Argan oil, functional food, and the sustainable development of the argan forest. Natural Product Communications, 3, 283–288.
2.
GharbyS, HarharH, GuillaumeD, HaddadA, CharroufZ. (2012) The origin of virgin argan oil's high oxidative stability unraveled. Natural Product Communications, 7, 621–624.
3.
GuillaumeD, CharroufZ. (2011) Argan oil and other argan products: Use in dermocosmetology. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 113, 403–408.
4.
le Polain de WarouxY, LambinEF. (2012) Niche commodities and rural poverty alleviation: Contextualizing the contribution of argan oil to rural livelihoods in Morocco. Annals of the Association of American Geographers. In press.
5.
CharroufZ, GuillaumeD. (1999) Ethnoeconomical, ethnomedical, and phytochemical study of Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 67, 7–14.
6.
CharroufZ. (2007) 20 ans de recherche-action pour faire de l'arganier un levier du développement durable du milieu rural marocain. Presentation at the international conference “L'arganier, levier du développement humain du milieu rural marocain”, Rabat, 27 and 28th April, 2007.
7.
RuasMP, TengbergM, EttahiriAS, FiliA, StaëvelJP. (2011) Archaeobotanical research at the medieval fortified site of Îgîlîz (Anti-Atlas, Morocco) with particular reference to the exploitation of the argan tree. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 20, 419–433.
8.
TurnerB. (2009) Intervention transnationale et moralisation de la gestion de la propriété en milieu rural au Maroc. Anthropologica51, 1–14.
McGregorHV, DupontL, StuutJBW, KuhlmannH. (2009) Vegetation change, goats, and religion: a 2000-year history of land use in southern Morocco. Quaternary Science Reviews, 28, 1434–1448.
11.
RocherP. (1926) L'arganier. Annales de Géographie, 35, 259–267.
El YousfiSM. (1988) cited in MhiritO, BenzyaneM, BenchekrounF, El YousfiSM, BendaanounM. (1998) L'arganier, une espèce fruitière- forestière à usages multiples.Mardaga, Sprimont.
16.
Etude d'aménagement par identification des impacts des mises en culture sur la forêt d'arganier de la plaine de Souss. Haut commissariat aux eaux et forets et à la lutte contre la desertification. Accessible from https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B26JKb45-NrEaGNqR3FQTjBRekU
17.
le Polain de WarouxY, LambinEF. (2012) Monitoring degradation in arid and semi-arid forests and woodlands: The case of the argan woodlands (Morocco). Applied Geography, 32, 777–786.
18.
LybbertTJ, AboudrareA, ChaloudD, MagnanN, NashN. (2011) Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 108, 13963–13968.
19.
LybbertTJ, BarrettCB, NarjisseH. (2002) Market-based conservation and local benefits: the case of argan oil in Morocco. Ecological Economics, 41, 125–144.
20.
LybbertTJ, MagnanN, AboudrareA. (2010) Household and local forest impacts of Morocco's argan oil bonanza. Environment and Development Economics, 15, 439–464.
21.
DamammeA. (2011) La difficile reconnaissance du travail féminin au Maroc: le cas des coopératives d'huile d'argan. In Femmes, économies et développement.GuérinI. (Ed.). érès « Sociologie économique ».85–106.
