Blog #16 Fieldwork in Sidi Ifni region

Group picture before starting on the first day of household interviews

The construction of our survey questionnaire did not come easy to our group; our list of proposed survey questions changed with every new experience. Our first approach to forming the questions was based on the United Nations Environmental Program’s (UNEP) updated guidelines for conducting a Social Life Cycle Analysis. A group reading of these guidelines accompanied by Dr. Naughton’s LCA/S-LCA presentation helped us come to a collective understanding of the framework of each life cycle assessment. Understanding the scope of our project and its limitations would be key in deciding what information we would want to gain from our participating interviewees.

Left: INRA Agriculture Research Facility Visit, Right: Cooperative Visit near Agadir

After several visits to argan cooperatives and Moroccan development teams, we concluded that our questionnaire was very removed from the women participating in argan oil production. We had to rethink our strategy for approaching more complex topics such as revenue, household power dynamics, and environmental impacts. We spoke with Dr. Wendy Perry, whose research into the impact of international development projects (such as the Moroccan government’s investments in cooperatives) on the rural women of Morocco helped us understand how to approach surveying and tailor our questions to better be received and interpreted. Our speaking partners have also helped greatly in translating terminology and keeping us informed of the customs and traditions within Moroccan households. The Dar Si Hmad team has aided in our integration as well; teaching us historical contexts to the vast network of social, political, and economic factors tied to the modern day production of argan oil.

Yoel and Andy with speaking partner Salah doing household interviews with male head of the household and son.

I wouldn’t have considered the vast network of concepts and fields tied to the production of argan oil if it weren’t for the program's strong advocacy for interdisciplinary fieldwork. I find myself constantly pushed to think outside the box; learning to approach field surveying not only as an engineer but from the perspective of an anthropologist as well. I admire the qualitative data we’ve received from each interview, each person bringing rich and unique experiences, and the process of connecting with new people every day.

Last day of household surveys, we ended with 26 households in 4 days

-by Andy Hernandez Torres, Environmental Engineering undergraduate student at UC Merced