Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – The 8th edition of the International Argan Congress opened Saturday in Essaouira, bringing together nearly 500 Moroccan and international researchers, experts, and professionals to discuss the future of Morocco’s argan ecosystem and its role in climate resilience.
Held under the theme “From Argan Forest to Arganiculture: The Argan Tree as a Pillar of Water Resilience for Ecosystems, Territories, and Communities,” the congress conveys Morocco’s commitment to protect and modernize the argan sector in line with the royal vision for sustainable development and environmental resilience.
The National Agency for the Development of Oasis and Argan Zones (ANDZOA) organized the event in partnership with INRA, the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF), Essaouira Province, and the Interprofessional Federation of the Argan Sector (FIFARGANE). The goal of the congress is to also strengthen scientific exchange and international partnerships around the preservation and sustainable development of the argan ecosystem.
Congress supports Morocco’s green vision
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Latifa Yaakoubi, Director General of ANDZOA, said Morocco is entering a new phase where the argan tree is no longer viewed solely as a traditional forest resource, but as a strategic pillar for ecological transition, territorial development, and water resilience.
Yaakoubi stressed that the congress has become an important scientific platform supporting Morocco’s efforts to develop arganiculture through research, innovation, and sustainable management practices.
She linked the event’s objectives to the national agricultural strategy “Generation Green 2020-2030,” noting that Moroccan institutions are working to transform the argan sector into a modern and resilient agroforestry model capable of adapting to climate challenges and water scarcity.
According to Yaakoubi, several Moroccan research institutions, including the National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA), Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, and the Forest Research Center, have contributed to major scientific advances in arganiculture.
These efforts include the development of heat-resistant argan genotypes, improved cultivation techniques, and bioclimatic modeling aimed at strengthening the resilience of argan ecosystems.
One of the major announcements during the congress was that Morocco is expected to begin extracting the first argan oil produced through modern arganiculture starting next summer, a milestone Yaakoubi described as “historic.”
She said the achievement reflects years of collaboration between researchers, rural women, local communities, and professionals working in the argan sector.
Morocco expands international environmental role
The congress also shows Morocco’s growing international role in environmental diplomacy and sustainable ecosystem management.
Yaakoubi recalled that the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO since 1998, remains a global example of coexistence between human communities and nature.
She further pointed to Morocco’s leadership within UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program and the country’s election to UNESCO’s Executive Board for the 2025-2029 term.
Participants at the congress, which is part of the royal vision under King Mohammed VI leadership, stressed the need for stronger interdisciplinary cooperation combining ecology, water management, rural socio-economics, artificial intelligence, and ancestral knowledge systems such as the “Agdal” model to better address the effects of climate change.
