Ms Salima Sultan Al Shamsi

Salima Sultan Al Shamsi is an Emirati farmer and beekeeper who has built a sustainable farming model linking food production with scientific innovation and the empowerment of rural women, in support of food security (FAO). She attended the UAE’s first farmer field school, is recognised as a pioneer in agri-food processing, and is a member of the country’s leading agricultural institutions. Her farm was among the first 30 in the UAE to grow quinoa. She manages 330 date palms across 12 varieties, grows more than 30 crops, and produces Emirati honey and fruit-infused honeys. She is a leading supplier to Silal and Al Foah, and holds the Abu Dhabi Chamber Sustainability Label (Gold level), the Impact Maker Award, and third place in the Outstanding Female Farmer category of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award. She has also developed a bee strain that serves as an alternative to bumblebees, recognised by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.