Morocco's Argan Sector Now 50% Women-Led at Top Levels

In a sector where women do three-quarters of the work but rarely reached the boardroom, Morocco just changed the rules.

The National Interprofessional Federation of the Argan Sector, known as FIFARGANE, now requires women to hold 50% of all leadership positions across its governing bodies. In some regional associations, women now make up 70% of leadership.

The shift came after Mohamed Oussyade took over as president in 2023. He inherited a federation struggling after COVID-19 slowed the industry and fractured relationships between different groups. "The sector experienced a slowdown, and the federation needed renewal," he explained during a recent podcast interview.

FIFARGANE represents Morocco's entire argan value chain, spanning eight provinces across three regions. More than one million people depend on the argan trees for their livelihood, with women collecting the raw nuts that produce the world-famous oil.

The federation brought together regional associations, over 400 local branches, and more than 170 professional actors including cooperatives, processors, and exporters. Oussyade's first priority was bringing back members who had stepped away and rebuilding unity under a single legal framework.

But reform goes beyond representation. The federation signed a program with Morocco's Ministry of Agriculture running through 2030. The plan includes planting 50,000 hectares of new argan trees and rehabilitating 400,000 hectares of existing forest areas threatened by drought, urban expansion, and overgrazing.

Drought has gripped Morocco since 2018, putting enormous pressure on the argan ecosystem. Oussyade pointed out that rural women in mountainous areas face the biggest challenges. "She works hardest to collect the raw material but often receives the least benefit from added value," he said.

The new program aims to fix that imbalance. It includes strengthening health coverage and social protection for workers while promoting fair economic models and international marketing that benefits everyone in the chain.

The Ripple Effect

When women lead an industry where they already do most of the work, the benefits spread fast. Better representation means better policies for health coverage, fair compensation, and sustainable practices that protect the land these communities call home.

The argan tree provides more than just oil for cosmetics and cooking. It anchors an entire ecosystem across southern Morocco, preventing desertification while supporting families who have harvested its nuts for generations. Protecting the trees means protecting the culture and livelihoods woven around them.

With women now equally represented in decision-making, the reforms address both environmental sustainability and economic justice at once.

Morocco's argan sector is proving that real change happens when the people doing the work get a seat at the table.