Some of the initial successes in in vitro culture were obtained by French researchers, such as Gautheret and Morel. In the 1960s, commercial micropropagation activities are the focus of research. At the end of the 1980's, almost 20 societies were producing approximately 40 millions of in vitro-cultured plants. The production of in vitro-grown plants in France is now approximately 8-10 million per year. Banana, coffee and strawberry are the most important crops propagated in vitro. Information on commercial micropropagation in Belgium and the Netherlands are presented.