Project initiated 1992 (≈ 1992)
Idea launched by Louis Malassis and Agropolis.
29 septembre 1994
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 29 septembre 1994 (≈ 1994)
Inauguration with three permanent exhibitions.
1995
Labellisation Musée de France
Labellisation Musée de France 1995 (≈ 1995)
Official recognition by the State.
1994-2002
Extension of collections
Extension of collections 1994-2002 (≈ 1998)
Addition of two new thematic sections.
20 juillet 2010
Final closure
Final closure 20 juillet 2010 (≈ 2010)
Financial disengagement from institutions.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Louis Malassis - Researcher and agronomist
Initiator and first director of the museum.
Origin and history
Agropolis Museum was a scientific and cultural museum located in Montpellier, in the "Hospital Faculties" district. Inaugurated in 1994, he devoted himself to studying food, agriculture and human cultures throughout the world. His approach combined science, technology and anthropology to explore the food quest as an engine for the biological and cultural development of humanity. The museum addressed topics such as food inequalities, the links between health and nutrition, and agricultural and ritual practices on a global scale.
The initiative to create this museum was born in 1992 under the leadership of Louis Malassis, an agronomist and researcher, with the support of the scientific community of Agropolis, a major pole of tropical and Mediterranean agronomic research. At its opening, Agropolis Museum proposed three permanent sections: Historical Fresque, Farmers and Agricultures of the World, and Agrarian Landscapes of the World. Between 1994 and 2002, two new sections were added: World Foods, Foods and Beverages and The Humanity Banquet, expanding its reflection on cultural diversity and contemporary food issues such as shortage, undernourishment or obesity.
The labeled "Musée de France" in 1995, Agropolis Museum was distinguished by its temporary exhibitions, its teaching tools (books, workshops, guided tours) and its role of mediation between researchers and the general public. Its collections, rich in thousands of ethnological and scientific objects, covered regions such as Africa, Asia, America or Oceania, illustrating practices related to agriculture, hunting, rituals or costumes. Despite its outreach, the museum closed in 2010 for lack of financial support from the state and the Languedoc-Roussillon Region.
The objects exhibited reflected an exceptional geographical diversity, with pieces from Morocco, Brazil, Japan, Russia and New Caledonia. The topics covered included both research tools and traditional furniture, highlighting the interactions between environment, techniques and cultures. Agropolis Museum thus remained a unique place to understand global food challenges, while highlighting the intangible heritage of food and agriculture.
