The Arganiculture Development Project in Degraded Environments (DARED) is an innovative initiative launched by Morocco in response to the increasingly intense human and climatic pressure on the Argan Grove. Supervised by the Agency for Agricultural Development (ADA) and executed by the National Agency for the Development of Oasis Areas and Argan Trees (ANDZOA), the project was submitted to the Green Climate Fund and financed to the tune of 520 million dirhams, including 80% by the fund and 20% by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The DARED project is structured in three components:

1. Component 1: Carrying out argan farming on 10,000 ha;
2. Component 2: Support for initiatives to preserve the argan ecosystem;
3. Component 3: Capacity building, knowledge management and research promotion.

The first aims to carry out argan farming on 10,000 hectares, preceded by a pilot project of 500 hectares during the first two years. It also provides for the extension of aromatic and medicinal plants over 2,000 hectares, as well as the supervision, technical assistance, training and supervision of beneficiaries and beneficiaries.

The second will make it possible to structure professional organizations at the beginning of the Argane sector and to promote argan products.

The third focuses on capacity building, knowledge management and research promotion.

The DARED project is deployed in three areas belonging to three regions of Morocco (Sous-Massa, Guelmim and Essaouira). It directly benefits 26,000 inhabitants and indirectly to 345,000 inhabitants. The project area is located near the argan forest, which extends over 830,000 hectares with a fairly developed network of cooperatives for the collection and valorization of argan products, totaling around 300 cooperatives and more than 6,500 members.

The DARED project is an important initiative for the preservation of argan trees and the development of argan farming in Morocco. It also contributes to the fight against climate change by reducing the pressure on natural argan forests. The duration of the project has been extended by two years, until 2023, and the ANDZOA regulations relating to the conditions and forms of procurement apply for the award of partnership agreements.