The ancient Sumerians probably knew saffron 5000 years ago. The plant is native to the Mediterranean basin, perhaps the island of Crete, where wall paintings have been found depicting stigma being collected. The red gold is also cited in the Iliad (700 BC). Saffron is a spice consisting of three dried pistils obtained from Crocus sativus, the only edible species of the 80 species of crocus. The plant has an underground bulb, intense violet petals and red-orange stigma.
The two largest producers are Spain and Iran, smaller producers include Greece, Italy and Morocco.
Saffron is one of the most important and traditional crops in the Souss Massa Draa region (Southwestern Morocco), in particular the provinces of Taroudant and Ouarzazate.
In the extreme west of the province of Taroudant lies Taliouine, the main centre. It is situated on a bare plateau at the edge of the Argan forest, in a basin surrounded by the slopes of the Anti-Atlas and the High Atlas mountains. This area has the main concentration of Crocus sativus, which is cultivated at an altitude between 1200 and 2400 meters.
Taliouine saffron has high levels of safranal, the substance responsible for its aroma, and phenyl ethanol, which gives it characteristic floral notes.
The whole family works to gather the flowers which grow in small fields dug out of the rocky land, and then continue processing in the courtyards of their houses, while they sip saffron flavored tea.
Each stage of production is done by hand and natural fertilizers are used. In addition to saffron, medicinal herbs and vegetables are cultivated, while olive trees, almond trees and wild herbs grow at the edges of the fields.
Traditionally it was Jewish merchants from the sizeable Jewish communities in Morocco who sold the saffron, with a particular preference for pistils treated with olive oil, as is still done in some areas of Italy.
This method has been abandoned following Jewish emigration: now it is Arab and Berber merchants who purchase large quantities of saffron from the producers at small weekly markets, then selling them at the same markets, in large Moroccan towns and the whole of the Maghreb, as far as Europe. Saffron is bought and sold locally at very low prices, which rise in town markets and in Europe.

The Presidium
Created in 2004 but operating since autumn 2007, thanks to support from ORMVA (Regional Office of Agricultural Development) and the Franco-Moroccan NGO Migrations et Développement, the Taliouine cooperative brings together 11 producers living near the town.
The cooperative’s productive potential is 50 kg of saffron per year, with an average of about 4.5 kg per producer. Current production is estimated at between 30 and 40 kg however.
The Presidium producers keep the saffron in terracotta or glass jars and supply it to the cooperative for commercialization. Alternatively they sell it at the souk where intermediaries buy their product at very low prices.
By maintaining saffron cultivation, increasing the availability of water and ensuring a fair return for the painstaking manual work, people in Taliouine will be able to remain on their land, keeping their traditions and local area.

Production area
Taliouine, Province of Taroudant