The Laboratory of Tropical Crop Improvement belongs to the Division of Crop Biotechnics of the Department of Biosystems  of the  Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven).

It was founded in 1978 by Prof em. E. De Langhe, the founding director of  INIBAP (International Network for the Improvement of bananas and plantain, now part of   Bioversity International)  and has a long tradition to collaborate with the CGIAR. This resulted in a  MOU with IITA and in a  MOU with Bioversity International.

It has a staff strength of ± 40 people and  long tradition to conduct research on bananas for development.