Blog No 28 Goats and the Argan Tree
During a week-long cruise along the northwest African coast, Michele and I joined a day excursion from the port city of Agadir, Morocco (founded by the Portuguese in 1505) on a bus that traveled inland through the arid countryside with fields and olive trees. We passed villages, some in the distance, but each town seemed to have a single mosque, usually the tallest structure in the town.
Our guide wore a long robe called a djellaba and he spoke about the customs of the Moroccan people, momentarily veering into a topic not in good taste with Western standards. Our bus pulled over at a turnout and when I got out I was puzzled to see a number of goats standing precariously on the horizontal branches high in a tree. I thought it was an olive tree but soon learned it was an argan tree that is found primarily in the harsh environment of southwestern Morocco, where it withstands drought and temperatures of over 50⁰ C (122⁰F).
An exceptionally tall man with a staff gave me permission to photograph him and the goats, after a small donation. A herd of goats of all sizes hung out underneath the tree, but what got my attention was the goats in the tree that were nibbling on the argan fruit. The goats eat only the outer portion of the fruit, and it is the seed or the "kernel" that is left to produce valuable argan oil.
As we drove into the town of Taroudant I glanced up and saw two White Storks flying over the town square, but they vanished before I could get my camera out. These birds are famous for their long distance migration between Europe and Africa. Our guide led us along narrow streets where vendors plied us with their wares. We stopped in a store that sold argan products and in the front, three women labored at the task of extracting oil from the argan seeds. Unroasted seeds are used to produce oil preparations used on your skin and from roasted seeds an oil is made with a nutty flavor used in cooking.
As you might expect, there are people who protest what we had just seen, alleging that tourists are preying on the people and their goats. This concern seemed misguided, as the oil from argan seeds is a prized agriculture export from Morocco, and of vital economic importance. For the women who engage in this laborious process to make argan oil, it can be a significant part of their income. As far as the welfare of the goats, they appeared well-fed and content.
Argan fruit
Goats appear healthy and content
Making argan oil inside store that sell argan oil products
Mosque in small countryside village
