As a juror in this year’s Agraya Changemaker Awards, Manal Saleh of Blue Moon will honour individuals and organisations driving positive transformation for women in farming
The role of women in agriculture is often overlooked, yet research shows that they are pivotal to ensuring the long-term profitability of farms – despite being structurally and financially disadvantaged.
A study on women farmers from ten European countries by Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas (Fliara) shows that women are driving new business models, technological solutions, and community structures. They create jobs, strengthen regional value creation, and increase the resilience of businesses and communities.
For over 20 years, Manal Saleh has worked with smallholders and supply chains in Africa, the Middle East and beyond, translating sustainability standards into farming practice. This year, as a juror at the Agraya Changemaker Awards, she will shine a spotlight on some of these “invisible” achievers, honouring innovators helping women farmers break down persistent barriers such as lower wages, limited land ownership and inadequate legal protection.
The awards celebrate individuals and organisations driving positive transformation in farming. In recognition of 2026 being the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer, this year’s awards will shine a spotlight on initiatives that strengthen the role of women in agriculture.
While this is often under-acknowledged, Saleh argues that smallholder farming systems cannot function effectively without their contribution. The Changemaker Award jury is specifically looking for projects that highlight the impact of women farmers and showcase initiatives advancing the vital role of women in agriculture and the efforts helping to overcome the barriers they encounter.
Much of Saleh’s work has focused on translating global sustainability standards into practical improvements on the ground. Her long-standing engagement with Agraya’s GlobalG.A.P. certification scheme has given her unique insight into gender inequalities in sustainability frameworks.
When she founded Blue Moon in 2008 to help small holders and middle-sized companies implement GlobalG.A.P. and other international standards, she soon became aware of the vital role agriculture plays in improving the lives of women and families.
“We had a very positive impact on smallholders and their communities,” she tells Fruitnet. “One of the most sustainable projects I was involved with is a packhouse for sun-dried tomatoes in Luxor, which is still in operation today. They export to Brazil and Italy and have since introduced other products to their export basket as well.”
Her comments underline a broader theme in agricultural development: that long-term resilience often comes not only from access to markets, but from knowledge transfer, diversification, and local capacity building.
With Egypt playing an increasingly prominent role as a supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables to markets like Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Saleh believes it is more important than ever to recognise the vital contribution women make to the agricultural landscape.
“Egypt is already number one in fresh oranges and frozen strawberry exports, and its export basket continues to expand. A few years back we never thought that blueberries could even grow here, but the development of new varieties and technologies are creating new opportunities, and women are a huge factor in that,” she says.
As a juror for the Agraya Changemaker Awards, Saleh is now helping to spotlight initiatives that strengthen the role of women in farming, at a time when their contribution is receiving renewed global attention.
