Inside the Women's Cooperative

October 24, 2018

Jolie Maroc enjoys a close personal connection with the cooperative and it’s members. As a company, we are very selective on who we work with beyond just the quality of the product itself. This is why we are adamant on being direct trade. We believe in going beyond just ethical, fair wages and sustainability and creating lasting relationships with our artisans. Read more about the women's cooperative that creates all of our skincare products...

Fatima, the coop’s founder is from Agadir, a coastal city in the southwest of Morocco. One day she was at the hanut, a small neighborhood shop. While waiting in line, she overheard a conservation between the grocer and an elderly woman who was trying to exchange argan oil for flour to make bread for her family. The grocer responded that he was sorry but that he already more argan oil in stock than he needed. She turned to Fatima crying, desperately asking for her help. She interceded with the grocer on her behalf to no avail. Fatima felt a need to help this woman, who was from a rural village over an hours journey from Agadir in one of the least visited part of Morocco and the heart of the argan region. Together they created the cooperative for the her and the other women of her village plus the surrounding area, who’s families had been making argan oil for centuries but were struggling to pay for basic necessities. Fatima helped them market outside of their region and eventually on to other countries. They received various medals and certificates for the high quality of their products, including an ECO CERT certification from France. 

On our first visit to the coop, we shared a meal with the women and Fatima’s son on the terrace of the cooperative overlooking the argan groves. The women told us that many of the trees were over 4000 years old. During harvest season, they collect the argan fruit carefully from the trees which they then dry for months before they extract the small kernel from the hard shell, just one step in the tedious task of producing argan oil. Argan is found in almost every aspect of their life, from skincare, haircare and soap, to cooking their bread in the left over shells for flavor and roasting nuts for culinary oil which they turn into a sweet nut paste known as Amlou, a delicacy of the region.

Jolie Maroc is currently the only company to carry the coop's products in the United States. Each skincare product sold helps support the women and their families in Morocco. The care they give is evident in the exceptional quality and purity which is put into every bottle for you to enjoy. 

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