Conservatoire National des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales et Aromatiques (CNPMAI)

What Conservatoire National des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales et Aromatiques (CNPMAI) does

CNPMAI (Conservatoire National des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales et Aromatiques) is a French non-profit association, founded in 1987 and governed by the French Law of July 1, 1901, dedicated to the ex situ conservation of aromatic, medicinal, and perfumery plants (PPAM). Headquartered in Milly-la-Forêt, Essonne, the organization maintains botanical collections of more than 180 species and varieties on a single site that includes gardens, greenhouses, a museum, and a sales nursery. Its core technology is horticultural: plant multiplication, genetic resource management, and agronomic experimentation, including conservation work on threatened species such as Arnica montana and rare messicole (arable weed) plants demonstrated in association with ancient wheat varieties.

The organization serves four distinct customer segments: individual visitors and families, school groups, professional PPAM producers, and herbalists/naturopaths. It monetizes through a diversified mix of public subsidies (from DRIEE Ile-de-France, France AgriMer, ACTA, and Region Auvergne Rhône-Alpes), annual membership fees, mail-order and on-site sales of seeds and plants, paid workshops (€30 per 3-hour themed session), visitor admission, and publication sales. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the physical site plus mail-order and group bookings; commercial scale is small, with 8 employees and event-driven demand peaks (e.g., 600+ visitors at the 2017 30th anniversary open day).

CNPMAI's strategic positioning rests on institutional designations and ecosystem partnerships rather than commercial scale: it holds a board seat from Iteipmai, participates in the ACTA technical network, and co-develops the 'Vallée des Sens' territorial brand with ADéPAM. The 2026 events calendar and ongoing research programs indicate continued operational stability. There is no evidence of AI capability, external funding rounds, M&A activity, or material headcount growth; the organization's trajectory is best characterized as a stable, mission-driven non-profit maintaining a defensible niche in French PPAM genetic resource conservation.

Name

Conservatoire National des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales et Aromatiques (CNPMAI)

Legal name

CONSERVATOIRE NATIONAL DES PLANTES A PARFUM, MEDICINALES AROMATIQUES ET INDUSTRIELLES

Website

https://cnpmai.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CNPMAI is a French non-profit botanical conservatory, founded in 1987 in Milly-la-Forêt, that performs ex situ conservation of aromatic, medicinal, and perfumery plants. It serves gardeners, school groups, PPAM professionals, and herbalists through seed sales, workshops, and educational visits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Conservation and PPAM Horticulture

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Medicinal Plant Farming (Botanical/Pharmaceutical Crops) (AFAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Herb, Spice & Medicinal/Aromatic Plant Farming (AFAGAKAE), Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF)

Keywords

• Botanical conservation services
• Medicinal plant cultivation
• Aromatic plant propagation
• Herbal education programs
• PPAM genetic resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Milly-la-Forêt

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from association members who participate in governance through General Assemblies and receive updates on Conservatory activities.
2. Public Subsidies: Government funding from regional and national sources including DRIEE Ile-de-France, Region Auvergne Rhône Alpes, France AgriMer, and ACTA.
3. Seed and Plant Sales: Sale of seeds and plants via correspondence and on-site nursery, offering over 180 species and varieties of aromatic, medicinal, and perfumery plants.
4. Training and Workshop Revenue: Fees from adult workshops (30€ per 3-hour session), professional training sessions, and formations in PPAM sectors.
5. Visitor Revenue: Admission fees from individual visitors, group tours, and special events including dance performances, photo contests, and open days.
6. Publication Sales: Sales of publications including the 'Liste de plantes attractives pour les abeilles' and reports on threatened messicole plants in Ile-de-France.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CNPMAI conserves and propagates aromatic, medicinal, and perfumery plants (PPAM), maintaining over 180 species and varieties for sale via on-site nursery and mail order. The organization offers educational guided tours, themed adult workshops (medicinal, perfume, dye, witch, spice plants), children's activities and school programs, professional training in sustainable wild harvesting, and applied conservation research including Messicole plant demonstration plots and Arnica montana cultivation experimentation.

Product overview

CNPMAI is a botanical conservatory offering a unified portfolio centered on the conservation, production, and promotion of aromatic, medicinal, perfume, and industrial plants. Core offerings include: a seed and plant sales service (mail order and on-site nursery with 180+ varieties), educational visits and guided tours, themed adult workshops (medicinal plants, perfume plants, dye plants, witch plants, spice plants), children's activities and school programs, and conservation research projects. The organization also publishes scientific materials and offers professional training courses. All offerings are integrated within a single visitor experience combining botanical conservation, education, and sustainable plant utilization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seed and Plant Sales (Vente de semences et plants) Sale of seeds and plants of aromatic, medicinal, and perfume plants through mail order and the on-site nursery; the nursery offers over 180 species and varieties for gardeners, horticulturists, and herbal professionals.
• On-Site Plant Nursery (La pépinière) On-site plant nursery at Milly-la-Forêt selling over 180 species and varieties of medicinal, aromatic, perfume, and dye plants to walk-in visitors.
• Educational Visits and Guided Tours
• Adult Workshops (Ateliers adultes)
• Children's Activities and School Programs (Animations scolaires)
• Messicole Plant Demonstration Parcel Conservation demonstration plot pairing rare Messicole (arable weed) plants with ancient wheat varieties, established with DRIEE Ile-de-France support.
• Arnica montana Cultivation Experimentation Applied research program comparing agronomic behavior of wild Arnica montana populations with cultivated ones to develop French mountain arnica cultivation and reduce pressure on wild populations.
• CNPMAI Publications
• Professional Training Courses (Formations / Stages)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 visitors attracted during single open day event
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• France AgriMercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance AgriMer is the national agricultural commodities board that provides financing and support for the French horticultural and PPAM sectors. CNPMAI benefits from public subsidies and collaborates on initiatives related to aromatic and medicinal plant research and development.
• DRIEE Ile-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirection Régionale et Interdépartementale de l'Environnement et de l'Énergie provides financial support for conservation projects including work on threatened messicole plants in Ile-de-France and general conservation activities.
• Région Auvergne Rhône-AlpesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing subsidy support for horticultural and botanical conservation initiatives.
• ACTAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACTA is the agricultural technical association connecting French research institutes. CNPMAI participates in the ACTA network for technical coordination in the PPAM sector.
• ADéPAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation pour le Développement des PPAM dans la région de Milly-la-Forêt, a local association for PPAM development. ADéPAM launched the collective territorial brand 'Vallées des Sens' and participates in Conservatory events.
• Tela BotanicacoreTechnology or IntegrationTela Botanica is the French-speaking botanical network that developed the Smart'Flore mobile application. Partnership enables smartphone-based botanical discovery at the Conservatory through a dedicated 13-plant interpretive trail.
• Osmothèque de VersaillesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Osmothèque is the international perfume conservatory in Versailles. Provided a conference on perfume themes during the Conservatory's 30th anniversary celebration.
• Jardins Botaniques FrancophonescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of French-speaking botanical gardens collaborating on the Smart'Flore application project for plant identification and educational content.
• DarégalminorOthersFrench company specializing in frozen aromatic herbs and plants. Participated in the 30th anniversary open day with a product stand.
• Association Française des Professionnels de la Cueillette de Plantes Sauvages (AFC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association for wild plant harvesting. Participated in the 30th anniversary open day with informational stand.
• Mimésis ParfumsminorOthersPerfume house that participated in the 30th anniversary celebration with a stand presenting aromatic products.
• La Voie VerteminorOthersAssociation providing plant fiber crafts and workshops. Conducted plant fiber bracelet making workshops during the 30th anniversary open day.
• IteipmaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterprofession Technique de la Filière des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales et Aromatiques. CNPMAI has an administrator from Iteipmai (Denis Bellenot, responsible for Phytochemistry and Normalization) serving on the Conservatory's board.
• Jardin Botanique de LyonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of the CNPMAI Annual General Meeting in October 2017, demonstrating inter-institutional collaboration within the French botanical garden network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest: French national botanical conservatory focused on ex situ conservation of threatened plant species, operating gardens, public education, and seed bank activities. Directly comparable in mandate and operating model to CNPMAI, with a similar Loi 1901 non-profit structure and public-mission focus.
• ITEIPMAI: French technical institute for the PPAM (perfumery, medicinal, and aromatic plants) sector, conducting applied research, phytochemistry, and quality normalization. Directly comparable to CNPMAI's PPAM research mission — in fact, an ITEIPMAI representative (Denis Bellenot) sits on CNPMAI's board.
• Conservatoire Botanique National Alpin: French national botanical conservatory based in Gap, specializing in Alpine flora conservation, education, and applied research. Comparable to CNPMAI as a sister national conservatory with similar public-mission structure, though focused on a different botanical segment (Alpine flora vs. PPAM).
• Osmothèque de Versailles: International perfume conservatory in Versailles, dedicated to preserving aromatic and perfumery raw materials and heritage fragrances. Direct peer in the PPAM niche with shared ex situ conservation mission; partnered with CNPMAI during its 30th anniversary.
• Conservatoire Botanique National de Corse: French national botanical conservatory dedicated to Corsican flora conservation, education, and seed banking. Sister conservatory with structurally identical operating model (Loi 1901 association, public mission, ex situ conservation, public education) but focused on Mediterranean island flora.

Broad incumbents

• Missouri Botanical Garden: Major U.S. botanical garden operating extensive plant collections, conservation research, and public education programs. Comparable to CNPMAI in conservation-and-education mission model, though at much larger scale and with global research partnerships.
• Jardin des Plantes (Paris): Historic Parisian botanical garden operated by the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Comparable as a botanical garden with public visitation and education, though far larger and with a broader (non-PPAM-focused) plant collection.
• Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris): France's premier natural history institution, operating major botanical gardens, herbarium collections, and conservation research programs. Overlaps with CNPMAI in botanical conservation and education but at vastly larger scale and with a broader mandate covering all natural sciences.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical garden and conservation institution with extensive ex situ plant collections, seed bank (Millennium Seed Bank), research, and public visitation. Comparable to CNPMAI in mission (conservation + education + research) but at vastly greater scale and global geographic reach.

Others

• Tela Botanica: French-speaking botanical network operating the Smart'Flore mobile application and citizen-science plant identification programs. Complementary rather than competing: Tela Botanica provides the digital platform that CNPMAI uses for in-garden botanical discovery.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conservatoire-national-des-plantes-m%C3%A9dicinales-aromatiques-et-industrielles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Conservatoire National des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales et Aromatiques (CNPMAI)