Analyse SWOT de la filière de l’arganier: Etat des lieux, défis et des perspectives

Since the entry into force of the programme contract signed in 2012 as part of the Morocco Green Plan, the argane sector has experienced remarkable development thanks to the efforts made by professionals and public authorities. The potential advantages and prospects of the argane sector is in a need for a comprehensive review from the upstream to downstream of the value chain to understand the true potential of the sector and its development, considering the associated strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the argane sector using a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). The strengths include the exclusivity of exploitation of the raw material at the national level, the possibility of argane fruit storage for a long time and the development of the mechanization of the production processes. Weaknesses include the dependence of production on climatic conditions, fluctuating raw material prices and the persistence of the informal sector in the argan value chain. Opportunities include growing international demand for argan oil and the emergence of new international markets, especially in Asia and America. Threats include the presence of the argane ecosystem in areas vulnerable to climate change and subject to the constraints of desertification and the risk of commodity monopoly by intermediaries. The SWOT analysis shows that despite serious constraints, the argane is still a vital sector for the entire region where it is present with significant development potential. Keywords: Sustainable development, argane sector, SWOT analysisDepuis l'entrée en vigueur du contrat-programme signé en 2012 dans le cadre du Plan Maroc Vert, la filière de l’arganier a connu un développement remarquable grâce aux efforts entrepris par les professionnels et les pouvoirs publics. Les avantages potentiels et les perspectives de la filière de l’arganier nécessitent un examen complet du secteur pour comprendre le potentiel de la filière et les perspectives de son développement, en tenant compte des forces et des faiblesses associées. Par conséquent, le présent article vise à présenter la situation de la filière de l’arganier à l'aide d'une analyse SWOT (forces, faiblesses, opportunités, menaces). Les points forts comprennent l’exclusivité d’exploitation de la matière première au niveau national, la possibilité de stockage du fruit d’arganier pour une longue durée et le développement de la mécanisation des processus de production. Les faiblesses comprennent la dépendance de la production des conditions climatiques, la fluctuation des prix de la matière première et la persistance du secteur informel dans la filière de l’arganier. Les opportunités comprennent la croissance de la demande internationale de l’huile d’argane et l’émergence de nouveaux marchés à l’international, spécialement en Asie et en Amérique. Les menaces comprennent la présence de l’écosystème arganier dans des zones vulnérables aux changements climatiques et soumises aux contraintes de la désertification et le risque de monopole de la matière première par des intermédiaires. L'analyse SWOT montre que malgré les graves contraintes, l’arganier est toujours une filière vitale pour l’ensemble de la région de l’arganeraie avec un potentiel de développement important. Mots clés: Développement durable, filière de l’arganier, Analyse SWO

Discrimination of Geographical Origin of Unroasted Kernels Argan Oil (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) Using Tocopherols and Chemometrics

Valorisation of Argan oil requires the precise identification of different provenances markers. The concentration of tocopherol is regarded as one of the essential parameters that certifies the quality and purity of Argan oil. In this study, 39 Argan samples from six different geographical origins (Safi, Essaouira, Agadir, Taroudant, Tiznit, and Sidi Ifni) from the central west of Morocco were collected and extracted using cold pressing. The total tocopherol amount was found to range from 783.23 to 1,271.68 mg/kg. Generally, γ-tocopherol has the highest concentration in Argan oil. It should also be noted that the geographical origin was found to have a strong effect on the amounts of all tocopherol homologues studied. Principal component analysis of tocopherol concentrations highlighted a significant difference between the different provenances. The content of tocopherol has also been found to be strongly influenced by the distance from the coast and altitude, whereas no significant effect was found regarding other ecological parameters. The prediction ability of the LDA models was 87.2%. The highest correct classification was revealed in coastal provenances (100%), and the lowest values were from the continental ones (71.4%). These results provide the basis for determining the geographical origins of Argan oil production with well-defined characteristics to increase the product’s value and the income of local populations. In addition, this study provides a very promising basis for developing Argan varieties with a high content of tocopherol homologues, as well as contributing to the traceability and protection of Argan oil’s geographical indication