This is everything you need to know about the Argan tree

The Argan tree, native to Morocco, Algeria, and the Western Sahara, supports the livelihoods of millions of people, particularly Amazigh women, through the production of Argan oil. The tree is ecologically significant for its ability to withstand temperatures up to 50°C and slow desertification. However, Argan forests are threatened by rising temperatures, droughts, and deforestation, leading UNESCO to designate the Arganeraie area of south-west Morocco as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage site.

• The Argan tree provides economic opportunities for approximately three million people in Southwest Morocco, with many harvesters being women from the Amazigh indigenous nomadic minority.
• The Argan tree offers five primary benefits: it slows desertification by withstanding temperatures up to 50°C; its oil is used in folk medicine for heart disease, rheumatism, and skin conditions; its oil and fruits are used in beauty products; it is used in Moroccan cooking; and its pulp, seed paste, fruits, and leaves serve as animal feed.
• Argan forest habitats are currently threatened by rising temperatures, increased droughts, and deforestation, prompting UNESCO to designate the Arganeraie area of south-west Morocco as a Biosphere Reserve and include it on the World Heritage List.
• Globally, medicinal plants are critical for the food security and livelihoods of over one billion people, though 20% are at risk of extinction due to climate change, unsustainability, and habitat loss.

APA

Ellerbeck, S. (2022). This is everything you need to know about the Argan tree. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/argan-forests-sustainable-deforestation/

Chicago

Ellerbeck, Stefan. This is everything you need to know about the Argan tree. World Economic Forum, 2022. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/argan-forests-sustainable-deforestation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ellerbeck |first1=Stefan |title=This is everything you need to know about the Argan tree |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=10 June 2022 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/argan-forests-sustainable-deforestation/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ellerbeck2022this, author = {Ellerbeck, Stefan}, title = {{This is everything you need to know about the Argan tree}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/argan-forests-sustainable-deforestation/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }