Marina Lambertini: The Agronomist Behind Little-Known Work Crucial to a Staple Food

Marina Lambertini's life path was set at 13 when her family purchased a small livestock farm. While her family had no agricultural background, the presence of an agronomist advising the farm sparked a deep fascination in the young Lambertini. She spent hours observing the agronomist, absorbing his technical explanations, a curiosity that blossomed into a lifelong vocation. By 1992, she had earned her degree as an agronomist from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

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The advisor would grab a head of wheat or corn and explain that with that he could calculate the yield. He became my total idol.

Her interest wasn't in livestock, but in horticulture, a subject she specialized in during her final university years. Inspired by a professor from an Italian farming family, Lambertini became captivated by the burgeoning greenhouse technology that enabled year-round production of vegetables. She recalled her grandmother's stories of seasonal tomatoes and contrasted them with the new reality of continuous availability. "Before, our grandmothers told us there were only tomatoes in the summer, but with the appearance of greenhouses, there could be tomatoes almost all year round," she recounted. This realization solidified her desire: "I want to grow tomatoes, I want to grow corn."

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Before, our grandmothers told us there were only tomatoes in the summer, but with the appearance of greenhouses, there could be tomatoes almost all year round.

Lambertini began her professional journey on her family's farm in General Madariaga from 1993 to 2000. Although the farm was primarily livestock-focused, she began integrating her horticultural production, experimenting with crops that had captured her imagination during university visits to greenhouses. This period was crucial for bridging theory and practice, allowing her to understand soil types, production cycles, crop management, and the daily challenges of farming. She even described bringing water in rafts to irrigate tomatoes because the groundwater was unsuitable for horticultural purposes.

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I bring the water in rafts to water the tomatoes because the groundwater was not suitable for horticultural production.

After her time on the family farm, Lambertini continued to advance her career at various companies within the sector, eventually joining Sueño Verde, a firm founded by her UBA colleagues Agustín Benito and Pablo Maceda. For Lambertini, her extensive experience in horticulture has been more than just an academic pursuit. "It's that feeling when you follow your passion, beyond the economic aspect," she summarized, highlighting a career driven by deep personal fulfillment.

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It's that feeling when you follow your passion, beyond the economic aspect.