Andrea Disco (1961) gained a tertiary degree for botanical analyst in 1983, and in 1997 earned her BSc, specialty Horticulture, from the Polytech of Delft, the Netherlands. She was the first woman in Europe to complete this tertiary horticultural training part-time. After a period of temporary jobs, due to the tight employment market in the early 1980s, in general microbiology, plant diseases and biological control, Andrea obtained the desired position in 1991. She became a researcher at the Research Station for Glasshouse Horticulture in Naaldwijk. Until 1998 she worked on various research projects at the Research Stations in Naaldwijk and Aalsmeer. In this period she completed her Horticulture degree, beside her full-time work.
From 1998 until 2007 Andrea worked as a journalist for the trade journal Groenten & Fruit and was often present at growers’ meetings. Andrea worked as the ‘plant doctor‘ from 2007 until the end of 2017, first at Relab den Haan in Den Hoorn and after the take-over by Eurofins Agro she was based at the Demokwekerij in Honselersdijk.
Since January 2018 Andrea is account manager (relationship manager) at the Dutch Fruit Organization (NFO).