Catalogue description Records created and inherited by the Tropical Products Institute and successors

The work of this establishment developed from that of the Plant and Animal Products Department of the Imperial Institute, which from the 1890s aimed to furnish scientific and technical information necessary for the better production and marketing of plant and animal products, which British territories overseas produced or might become able to produce.

The Tropical Products Institute was established at Gray's Inn Road, London in December 1957. Its functions were to improve the economic viability of underdeveloped tropical territories by improving the technology of existing industries and introducing new industries as a result of research into new uses for tropical plant and animal products. Additionally, it provided an advisory service, and it aimed to improve methods of production, marketing, and quality of products by undertaking scientific research, and investigating the control of insect pests.

The Tropical Products Institute inherited the work of the Plant and Animal Products Department of the Imperial Institute which had carried out research from 1929. In 1949, this organisation was transferred to the Colonial Products Advisory Bureau (Plant and Animal) of the Colonial Office. In January 1953 the bureau and the Colonial Products Research Council were brought together under one director. The bureau was renamed the Colonial Products Laboratory and placed under the oversight of the council. In 1954, the council was renamed the Colonial Products Council. In 1957, the Laboratory was moved from the Imperial Institute and renamed the Tropical Products Institute.

In April 1959 control passed to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Colonial Products Council was replaced by a Tropical Products Institute Steering Committee, set up by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; the word 'steering' was subsequently dropped from its title.

The implementation of development projects throughout was the concern of the Colonial Development Corporation, established in 1948 and renamed the Commonwealth Development Corporation in 1963.

Financial responsibility for the institute was assumed by the Department of Technical Co-operation in April 1963 and the Ministry of Overseas Development in 1964.

Administrative control remained with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research until in April 1965 when full responsibility was taken over by the Ministry of Overseas Development. At the same time the Tropical Products Institute Committee was replaced by a Tropical Products Institute Advisory Committee.

In June 1967 the institute assumed administrative responsibility for the ministry's Tropical Stored Products Centre at Slough, and in July 1969 the institute's Industrial Technology (later Industrial Development) Department was opened at Culham. Control of the Institute passed to the Overseas Development Administration of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1970 and the revived Ministry of Overseas Development in 1974.