Morocco • Agriculture - Cosmetics
- Sector: Agriculture - Cosmetics
- Headquarters Country: Morocco
- City: Marrakech
- Founding Year: 2014
- Operating Regions: Morocco
- Employees: 2 to 10
- Founders: Fouad El aarjaoui
- Problem Identified: The father, and co-owner of the business, was curious about the benefits that the purest of argan oils from the fruit of the argan tree bring to human health. He also knew that creating the process is very vulnerable to imitation and attracts some unethical people who add industrial oils and pretend to tourists and clients that it is actually the pure original argan oil. Such fakes can ruin the reputation of the special oil genuinely intended for cosmetics and alimentary use. In fact, honest regional women in Agadir, Ourika, and Marakech had formed a cooperative and were collecting the dates of the argan tree to make into oil. But their prices did not reflect the medical value of their pure product, and they were barely making any money.
- Solution Offered: ARGANTIC is offering cosmetic products of high quality in order to differentiate and preserve a good reputation within the market. The company employs marginalized women within Ourika Valley and provides better working conditions compared to approximately 20 other cooperatives and companies in the region. Unlike other companies, ARGANTIC respects labor standards by paying employees minimum wage, assures that they do not work over 8 hours per day, provides work insurance, and a Medicare plan. ARGANTIC is therefore contributing to the enhancement of the social conditions of its employees, enabling these women to school their children and take better care of their families.
- Social Impact: According to the World Bank; the rate of women participating in labor force within Morocco has been slightly decreasing over the last 10 years. Thus, ARGANTIC is offering a job to the marginalized women living in the rural region of Ourika. The Moroccan society is still a very masculine and male centric society, despite all the changes made in the Moroccan constitution in order to diminish gender discrimination. Thus, women are still struggling to find decent jobs and many others are being oppressed at the workplace. ARGANTIC is offering them an opportunity to work in a safe environment. Employing these women, ARGANTIC is impacting the lives of their relatives. ARGANTIC is implementing a linguistic training in order to ease the communication between the employees and the tourists that purchase these products, since these employees have to deal with customers from different nationalities. ARGANTIC is a profitable company that is socially involved in the region. Many children in that region are dropping out of school at a very young age due to poverty and harsh conditions of living. ARGANTIC has been making some donations to the needy and helping many children to go to school.
- Website: http://argantic.e-monsite.com/
- Score: 7 Child health services
