Argan in south-west Morocco: the stages of the work and what to agree

UNESCO describes the argan tree as an endemic woodland species of the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve in south-west Morocco. Designated in 1998, the reserve covers about 2.5 million hectares and includes Agadir and Essaouira. In 2014 the practices and know-how around the argan tree were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The stages of the work

UNESCO lists the traditional steps: harvesting, drying, pulping, grinding, sorting, milling and mixing. It adds that rural women are the main practitioners of this know-how, with men taking part to a lesser extent.

The legal minimum

The legal agricultural minimum wage (SMAG) is 97.44 dirhams a day since 1 April 2026 (decree no. 2.25.983). If pay is by the piece or the kilo, work out what one person produces in a normal day and compare it with that minimum. We found no published official source on daily argan pay, so we quote no figures.

Questions to ask before you agree

• Is pay per day, per piece or per kilo, and when is it paid?
• Are workers declared to the CNSS?
• Is transport to the workplace included?
• Write the agreement down, even as a simple message, and keep it.