Shunned by youth, Morocco cosmetic oil craft faces uncertain future

ESSAOUIRA, Morocco: Morocco’s argan oil is highly prized by the cosmetics industry, yet it is now mostly produced by elderly workers, raising questions about how long the artisanal practice can continue.
A dozen women, sitting on the floor of a workshop inland from Essaouira, a port town on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, work to deftly shell argan nuts, crush them and extract the oil.
It is a time-honored and labor-intensive craft, but one increasingly shunned by young people in the North African kingdom.