Arganiculture beyond the Native Range of Argania spinosa: Framework for Dryland Restoration, Climate Resilience, and Territorial Development

The expansion of Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels cultivation beyond its native range has attracted increasing attention as a strategy for dryland restoration, climate adaptation, and sustainable rural development. However, successful arganiculture outside traditional argan ecosystems is constrained by interactions among ecological suitability, water availability, agronomic management, and governance capacity. This systematic review evaluates the opportunities and limitations of expanding arganiculture by integrating evidence from ecological, physiological, agronomic, genetic, hydrological, and socio-economic research. A structured literature search was conducted using major scientific databases, and studies were screened according to predefined eligibility criteria. The review shows that Argania spinosa possesses important drought-adaptive traits and physiological mechanisms that enable survival under severe water stress, supporting its potential for dryland rehabilitation and agroforestry development. Nevertheless, expansion remains limited by frost sensitivity, water requirements during establishment, ecological dependencies, and the potential loss of genetic diversity under intensive cultivation. Evidence from international experiences indicates that successful cultivation beyond Morocco is highly site-specific and depends on climatic suitability, sustainable water management, appropriate agronomic practices, and effective institutional support. This review proposes a conceptual framework that considers arganiculture as a socio-ecological transition system integrating biophysical suitability, ecological integrity, agronomic feasibility, and governance capacity to guide evidence-based planning. Overall, arganiculture offers significant potential for sustainable development in dryland regions, provided that context-specific management strategies effectively balance agricultural productivity with ecosystem conservation and long-term resource sustainability.