As 2024 draws to a close, we'd like to start by extending our warmest wishes for a wonderful festive season. May these moments be synonymous with joy, sharing and serenity for you and your loved ones.
This year has been marked by a major breakthrough for Grignon: the decision taken in June 2024 by the Prime Minister to maintain the estate as a state asset.

This milestone confirms our commitment to preserving Grignon as a place of innovation and transition for agriculture and the food industry. However, we have to admit that the concrete implementation of this decision is currently blocked. This is due not only to the political situation, but also to a number of unexpected situations that need to be clarified within the administration.

We want to be clear: this milestone victory does not mark the end of our vigilance. Recently, thanks to the attention of many friends of Grignon, we have informed you that the state of the Château, victim of major water damage due to a burst pipe, is becoming worrying. It deserves swift decisions to bring it out of its slow state of neglect. We are also aware that visits to the estate are being organized even though the prefigurator has still not been chosen.

Let's not repeat the mistakes that led to the imbroglio surrounding the sale of Grignon's furniture, the authors of which have just been condemned by the Cour des Comptes (see comments in this article).

We remain fully committed and willing to be part of the solution. With this in mind, we have proposed to the inspectors a dozen names of qualified personalities to take on the role of prefigurator. It's vital that government departments stop putting the brakes on the project's launch, and start relying on the players who have enabled Grignon to remain a benchmark for agricultural innovation. These people are ready to continue bringing the estate to life with ambition and pragmatism.

In conclusion, as with the challenges facing agriculture today, Grignon must not fall victim to the vagaries of politics. Common sense dictates the rapid launch of a public-private partnership to bring this project of general interest to life. We remain convinced that it is through collective action and the mobilization of all that we will succeed.

Thank you for your unfailing support. Together, let's continue to advance our cause and shape Grignon's future with enthusiasm and determination. We are also renewing our appeal for subscriptions and donations for 2025. Our association will continue its fight.

2026 is not far off, and we remain confident that together we can celebrate 200 years of Agros at Grignon.

With our sincerest regards,

Georges d'Andlau and Hervé Lecesne
and the entire Grignon 2000 Board of Directors