"Argan" is on the list of human heritage... and an international day for its protection
A Moroccan treasure solves a problem that threatens the health of the world
Allocating a section in the Moroccan pavilion to introduce the tales of argan, the perennial tree that is environmentally friendly.
Emirates today
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Currently, up to 600 Moroccan plants are used for pharmaceutical purposes, food industries and cosmetics, worldwide.. However, the most important thing is an antibiotic that Moroccan chemists were able to manufacture, and thus solve one of the most serious health problems facing the world, as it helped fight against Killer bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
The Moroccan pavilion was designed in the Opportunities area at Expo 2020 Dubai, in the form of an exploration castle.. The pavilion best presented the achievements of his country, and the most important features in its old and new history, using modern technology tools and elements of visual dazzling, as its achievements were briefly classified within courtyards distributed in seven Levels, to remind the visitor - as he climbs to reach them and roam between them - of the shops that are stacked in the paths of alleys branching inside the neighborhoods of the old towns in the mountains of Morocco. The Moroccan pavilion presents a list of Moroccan herbs and trees, numbering more than 4,200 plants.
The stations are many and rich, but we stop at what has been called “the power of plants”, which touched upon Morocco’s scientific solutions using its natural treasures, to confront a dangerous global health problem that threatens human and animal life and the environment, represented in the resistance of deadly bacteria to the pharmaceutical antibiotics used in Eliminate it, which has been confirmed by World Health Organization data that it is expected to kill nearly 10 million people by 2050, if the battle against it is not won with effective medical drugs.
The World Health Organization considers antibiotic resistance to be one of the greatest threats to global health, food security and development, as it leads to extended hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality.
It also affects the world's sources of plant and animal wealth.
Moroccan researcher in bacteriology, Adnan Rammal, won the "European Innovator" award in 2017, for his discovery of natural plant extracts that combat bacteria that have acquired resistance against traditional antibiotics.
And he was able to make a drug based on his scientific experiments that proved that many plants and herbs have effective anti-microbial, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal properties when used in studied doses.
Sand, the winner of many awards, worked for many years, taking advantage of the scientific capabilities of Moroccan universities, before asserting the strength of these plants and their ability to conquer antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and finally finding an antidote capable of fighting them.
The plants exploited in Morocco are used in the food, cosmetic, chemical, medicinal, therapeutic and agricultural fields, where each plant contains certain substances or aromatic oils, which can be used in the development of a specific product, such as the Shenekha plant or Al-Khela, for example, which the results of scientific studies have shown that its essential oil It eliminates several types of bacteria, and its fruits contain effective natural medicinal compounds, such as khelin, visnagen and visnadine.
Its dried fruits are also used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and asthma.
It is not possible not to stop at a tree that is thousands of years old in its original homeland in Morocco, the “argan” tree, which has been allocated an independent space in the pavilion to display and talk about it, as it is a rare tree, expensive in its natural components and cultural value.
The argan tree has a tremendous ability to resist drought and fight desertification, due to its absorption of carbon dioxide, which makes it a natural protector of the environment.
Argan trees are spread over an area of 830,000 hectares in a number of southern Moroccan regions, including Essaouira, Agadir, Taroudant, Tiznit and Sidi Ifni.
The Kingdom annually produces more than 5,300 tons of argan oil, which is extracted in a special way, and is used in medical treatments, as well as for nutritional and cosmetic purposes.
Argan oil has a high content of fatty acids, such as linoleic and oleic acid, which can improve skin permeability, and help other ingredients to penetrate the skin more easily.
The argan tree and its related practices for extracting argan oil were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Last March, the United Nations General Assembly adopted May 10 of each year as the International Day of the Argan Tree, which is an intangible cultural heritage of humanity and an ancient source of sustainable development. More attention on the Moroccan and international levels to protect this tree...which is threatened with extinction as a result of wrong practices...especially that the lady of the trees...the "argan" tree, also known as "the Berber almond", is considered a lifeline for life on the face of the planet.
The Lady of the Trees, the argan tree, also known as the “barbarian almond”, is a lifeline for life on the face of the planet.