Solidarity with Mayotte: Supporting Reconstruction
A year and a half after Cyclone Chido struck on December 14, 2024, Fondation de France continues its efforts to support affected populations, whose needs
The PURPAN Foundation is a public interest organization dedicated to supporting education, research, innovation, and development, primarily for rural areas, with a particular focus on agriculture, the food sector, and the green transition. Created in 1919, “Ecole d’Ingénieurs de PURPAN” is a leading Higher Education French institution dedicated to life sciences, agriculture, and food systems.
Rooted in a humanistic and action-oriented educational model, PURPAN trains responsible leaders capable of addressing today’s major challenges : food security, green transition, and sustainability.
Every year, PURPAN trains nearly 1,700 students, combining academic excellence with experiential learning, in particular thanks to its integrated farm, one of the few of its kind in France. With its seven world-class research platforms and an international network covering more than 50 countries, the school is at the forefront of innovation in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
Fondation PURPAN leads several programs to advance its mission in life sciences, agriculture, and food systems:
Research Chairs: PURPAN’s research chairs bring together academic researchers and industry partners to tackle pressing challenges in agriculture and food systems. The Chaire BASE (Biodiversité Agro-Sylvicole et Environnement) is one example, partnering with the Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels d’Occitanie to advance biodiversity conservation across farmland and forests, including through PURPAN’s own experimental farm. Foundation PURPAN aims to establish ten research chairs over the coming years, reflecting a long-term commitment to addressing major challenges in agriculture, food systems, health, and environmental sustainability.
Scientific Research: Research is carried out in an academic setting and in close partnership with the agricultural and agri-food sectors. It is fundamentally applied, aimed at generating knowledge and building solutions guided by three founding principles:
Together, these principles drive research that seeks to generate new knowledge and develop practical, useful, and innovative solutions in step with the agroecological, digital, economic, and societal transitions shaping the future of food and farming.
Scholarship Program: The Foundation’s student support fund ensures that financial hardship doesn’t stand in the way of a PURPAN education. In 2025, €100,000 was allocated to need-based scholarships for students from underserved backgrounds.
U.S. donors can make tax-deductible donations in support of Fondation PURPAN to the following projects:
Research Chairs and Strategic Projects: Contributing to the establishment of research chairs that support innovative scientific projects aligned with PURPAN’s priorities: ecological transition, sustainable agriculture, the transformation of food systems, and the “One Health” approach, which recognizes the close links between human, animal, and environmental health. These chairs serve as engines for innovation and help generate practical knowledge to support more sustainable and resilient food systems.
Supporting research and the future of science at PURPAN: Strengthening the research ecosystem by supporting young researchers, promoting scientific excellence, and developing knowledge that is directly beneficial to society. The grant will help shape a new generation of scientists, engineers, and change-makers committed to driving major environmental and societal transitions.
Scholarship Program – revealing talents and training those who hold the power to change tomorrow’s world: As a cornerstone of the Foundation’s social initiatives, the scholarship program promotes equal opportunity by enabling students from diverse—and sometimes vulnerable—backgrounds to access high-quality education. Designed to address the academic and personal challenges each student faces, it empowers these young people to become committed leaders capable of taking concrete action to transform agricultural and food systems.
By supporting the Fondation de PURPAN, you contribute to the future of sustainable agriculture and food systems through advancing environmental stewardship, strengthening global food security, and training the next generation of scientists and leaders committed to building a more resilient world.
A year and a half after Cyclone Chido struck on December 14, 2024, Fondation de France continues its efforts to support affected populations, whose needs
There is something fitting about meeting Benjamin Alunni at Villa Albertine in New York City, where Friends of Fondation de France holds our office. It
On the hot evening of June 21st, the streets of Paris were filled with music. Each year on this day, the Fête de la Musique,