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PRESERVEZ L'ARGANIER An extract from a speech made by Mohammed VI, July 30, 2000 "...We salute the efficient role played by civil society which engages itself effectively in the fight against poverty, pollution and illiteracy. It incites us to call the public powers, the local collectives and the group of public and private institutions to establish with civil society all types of partnerships and to furnish it with all types of aide. We are proud to see the elite of civil society interest themselves in public action and engage themselves in domains where before there was only the State, and this shows the maturity and energy of the people. As much as we are convinced of how civil society and political society complement one another- and not of those who oppose it, who, under this pretext, want to impose their will on national strategy- as much as we will consider the dynamic nature and effectiveness of civil society in the field of local development, the fight against poverty, pollution and illiteracy, and in the educational field, the organization and proposed actions of civil society's active elements do not establish themselves in the structures of the political world. This should motivate this political world to bring its structures up to par, change its operating methods and accord the greatest interest to the daily living conditions of citizens instead of hiding behind their selfish interests and being adamantly critical; and to give up these forms of populism that are damaging to all of political society, upon which we wait to fully assume its constitutional function consisting of educating and organizing the people..."
PRESERV ARGANIER From traditional land use to intensive land use of the argane forest Crops are starting to marginalize traditional land use of the argane forest. Is this to say that these crops make the argane forest more profitable? Yes, but this profitability is nothing but a financial one, and it interests only the "fellah", and only in the short term. This practice in its present form constitutes the most degrading factor in the argane ecosystem. The argane forest loans itself to a traditional land use that the local population continue to practice. In certain areas, it constitutes the sole recourse for survival for the population. The harvest of argane fruit, food for animals and cereal crops are presently the principal activities that maintain these communities in very modest conditions. In the Anti-Atlas, a mountain range at the edge of the Sahara, the argane tree still covers vast stretches despite the brutal climate and the pressure from animals feeding on it. The argane tree continues to be treated in the same manner as their ancestors of many centuries, and why not millenniums. This sacred tree has always been considered as "a part of the family" where a single tree can have up to ten users, indeed, sometimes more, who have no problem sharing the fruit harvest. This attachment to the argane tree shows itself in the surprising conservation of the argane areas in the Anti-Atlas, jealously guarded by the local people. This situation strongly contrasts with that of the argane tree in the plains of the Souss, and particularly in Admine, where the pressure and the progress of agriculture has gradually devalorized the tree, to the point of its progressive elimination as "annoyance". Nevertheless, the argane tree remains in certain recesses of the forest where it keeps its importance. The people in these areas are intent on maintaining a traditional land use, and have not yet succumbed to the temptation of commercial farming on their land. This is the case in all of the southeast of the forest (commune of Birougra). Actually, its conservation also results from the depth of the water table (beyond 100 meters), which is difficult to reach, and the sandy soil that isn't optimal for commercial crops. Commercial crops in the argane forest bring important benefits and contribute to the socio-economic development of the region; but the other side of the coin translates as a degradation and a predation on the undergrowth and soil. This constitutes the leading factor in the decline of the argan forest. These crops require the mobilization of a significant amount of funds to which only the big "fellahs" have access. The small farmer is deprived and finds himself brought before enticing offers from these exploiters and speculators, who are either local or come from other regions of the country, to rent the rights without caring what happens to "his land". These exploiters who invest big capital only think of pulling the maximum profit in a minimum of time. Only immediate benefits interest them, and the argane tree is set up as an annoyance in a lot of cases, in areas such as those with greenhouses that require the profiteers to remove the trees. These crops move into places more or less for the short term. The wooded surface can only regress under this situation, and the process of desertification threatens to extend under the arid climate conditions. Contrary to intensive commercial farming, traditional land use protects the argane tree, preserves the ecosystem, given that the pressure from grazing isn't too great. The soil has a guarantee against erosion, especially wind erosion in the sensitive areas with a fragile equilibrium. The existence of the argane tree for tens of centuries is concrete proof of the benefit of this tye of use. The argane tree treated as such represents the certainty that a standard of living, modest no doubt but assured, can be maintained for the local population. In addition to the modest income traditional use procures, in a manner sustained and perpetual in relation with the preservation of the argane forest, the value of this wooded environment, difficult to quantify, far surpasses the short term benefits of the commercial sector. Orientations for action This work proposes a sketch of the present state of knowledge on the argane tree in putting an accent on the functions and the multiple uses, and on the sylviculture of this species. The argane tree is not only an ecological reality, but also a community resource, that of a very particular economy and use. It is the result of diverse interactions between a rural society characterized by its ethnic groups, its history, its customs, etc.; and its arid environment. The ecosystems of the argane tree presently find themselves in a state of "non-development" in which the space more "consumed" than "developed". This type of finite use risks transforming, for the long term, the argane forest into a desert steppe in which the consequences on agro-sylvo-pastoral development in this area would not be negligible. (M'Hirit, 1987). The bibliography shows the importance of biochemical research companies who have known the characteristics of argane oil for a long time. On the other hand, it also shows a certain inadequacy concerning the fields of valorizing the uses of the argane tree. It seems therefore,quite important to develop a program that involves a multi-disciplinary approach that not only brings together specialists, but also program managers and the users of the resources of the argane forest. In this case, generally, the benefits of the structures and their relative functioning to the argane ecosystem will be worth researching and utilizing.
International Conference on the Preservation of the Argan Tree in Agadir Threat of Disappearance by Abdellatif EL AZIZI The faculty of sciences in Agadir organized an international conference on 23-25 of April 1998on the argan tree and plants existing in arid and semi-arid zones. Sponsored by UNESCO, the conference is part of a strategy to preserve and regenerate ressources and idigenous vegetation. It is the third of its type.It was important for the university to bring foreign and Moroccan specialists to exchange their experiences and look at laboratory results. In the context of the general degradation of Moroccan forests, the argan tree can certainly be considered one of the most threatened species. Drought, local exploitation and desertification are the principle threats facing the argan tree. The argan forest continues to shrink rapidly in the south where it disappearance could be an ecological and socio-economic disaster. This disappearance is accompanied by erosion and soil degradation by sand. When one realizes the importance of argan oil, either as a cosmetic or medicinal product, or for its nutritional value, it becomes clear that an entire economy is threatened. Even at the present, scientific research on the properties of the argan tree are still nascent, and it will be necessary to raise awareness in local populations to the necessity of preserving a tree that is disappearing. Therefore the populations that live from the tree's production can best assure the continuing existence of this tree. The economic aspect must be clearly explained. Methods for modern use exist and have been verified scientifically. It is in these meetings at the conference that we can present better methods of oil extraction and this will permit farmers to abandon less efficient traditional methods. Nevertheless, nothing is more valuble than the experience with the land of the inhabitants of the rural region of Haha and Agadir and other villages in the region. Thanks to their ancient practices, they are inspired by the health of the argan tree and the multiple uses of argan oil.
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