Home Search Shopping Cart CATEGORIES Brands Kaeline Beehive Skin Therapies Bath Divas Artisan Soaps Spa Accessories Key Ingredient or Use Argan Oil Honey Hammam Bath Body Face Lips Professional Massage Facial Hammam Checkout Customer Service The Argan Story FAQs Testimonials   About Us Press & Links Feedback Media		Ancient Life-giving Tree   Until recently, Argan Oil has was virtually almost unheard of in the United States.    We are working to change that.   But first we must venture to Morocco.  This country of legend and mystery unfolds along the ancient caravan trade routes through mountains and deserts. It’s a country of rich scenery  bathed in dazzling and relentless sun light. And in its heart are the forests of the argan, the knotted venerated tree that offers one of nature’s most perfect beauty secrets. The argan tree flourishes in this remote part of the world with its semi-arid climate and extreme temperatures.   The argan tree (Argania Spinosa) is 1.5 million years old and indigenous to southwest Morocco. Its life span is about 150 to 200 years. In 1998, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) took action to protect the Argan forest declaring it an international ‘biosphere reserve. The argan tree is one of Morocco’s most prized natural jewels and plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance and the economical situation of the population of the region. Nowhere else in the world can you find argan oil.  Only the Berber women of the argan orchards know how to extract the precious little known juice with such precise and practiced gestures, as they have done for centuries. It is estimated that 90% of the rural population of the region depend on the tree for uses such as food, animal feed, building materials, charcoal, shade, soil stability for crops, traditional medicine, and cosmetic applications. By choosing argan oil you are enriching your own health and well being while protecting this fragile and unique ecosystem.   Changing Women’s Lives   "My life has really changed. It used to be that I could never leave the house. Today, I am earning an income and can send my children to school." These are the words of a woman who has been given a new lease on life, thanks to a cooperative run exclusively by women in Tamanar, in the Essaouira region of Morocco. Here a group of 50 women has integrated itself into the economy by capitalizing on a piece of ancestral knowhow.1   Women cooperatives were specifically developed to empower the rural women of Morocco.  At the heart of this initiative stands Zoubida Charrouf, a Professor of Chemistry at the Université Mohammed V de Rabat and who has dedicated her life’s work to to preserve the argan forest by finding a sustainable economic use for its products, and to improve the social and economic status of rural women  The first argan oil cooperative was created from her idea to form a cooperative among the destitute and illiterate women who depend on the argan, help them mechanize the process, and sell their output so they can earn a decent living. Called Amal, the Arabic word for hope, it has meant exactly that for its members: they now have the chance to lead a life of dignity as full members of society. The argan and its products are an inexhaustible source of blessings, for women, for the region, and for the struggle against desertification since cooperative members are also helping to replant the argan forest: each has committed herself to planting 10 trees a year. Local tourism has also received a boost, as the cooperatives scattered about the region have become popular tourist destinations attracting hundreds of visitors each day. Increased demand has also helped to modernize the production. The Berber women no longer have to put in 20 hours of backbreaking work to extract a liter of oil. Through fair-trade the women are guaranteed a competitive salary. In addition to their earnings, the women are provided with opportunities for personal growth through education. The cooperatives advance literacy and environmental education programs, teach business skills, and the women actively participate in decision-making processes.   It is estimated that three million people who live in rural areas depend on argan oil for income.   Because it has a direct impact on their socioeconomic status, the women take full responsibility of the harvest and production of argan oil.  The cooperatives now employ over 2,000 women. By purchasing Kaeline products, you are not only enhancing your own health, you are helping to protect the argan forests and empower the women who produce this amazing oil. 1The International Development Research Center 6/01  'Amal' as in 'Hope': An Argan Oil Cooperative is Changing Women's Lives by Narjis Rerhaye & Chantal Schryer
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