The National Agency for the Development of Oasis and Argan Zones (ANDOZA), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries, the High Commission for Water and Forests and the Fight against Desertification, and the National Institute of Agricultural Research, is organising the International Argan Congress under the theme: "Achievements and perspectives of research on the argan tree" in Agadir from 15 to 17 December 2011. This congress is intended to be an annual meeting for consultation and coordination between stakeholders in the argan sector.

Considered a framework for integrated sustainable development, the argan forest area requires a good combination of efforts between the various actors with the main objective of preserving the ecological and socio-economic balance of the forest and peri-forest areas of the argan forest. It is the National Agency for the Development of Oasis and Argan Zones (ANDOZA) that ensures the coordination, coherence, and integration of the intervention programmes of all these actors.

The argan tree has fascinated many Moroccan and foreign researchers who have studied aspects related to its biology, its eco-geographical requirements, its socio-cultural environment, and its virtues. Various scientific studies have thus focused on aspects related to genetic variability, morphological and physiological characterisation, the evaluation of genetic diversity based on molecular markers, germination, plant production, in vitro culture, tolerance to abiotic stress, the domestication of this endemic species, the valorisation of its oil, and socio-economic and sustainable development impacts. However, the implementation of the results of this research in the field is faced with difficulties due to the lack of coordination between the various actors. Hence the organisation of this congress, which allows for a solution to this problem with a view to better coordination of research programmes in this field. The essential objective is the sharing of scientific and technical knowledge between specialists in the scientific community, forest managers, economic actors, and users, which will contribute to the strengthening of an action plan aimed at the development of the argan sector on a scientific basis.