Disclosed is a process for the preparation of cyclopropylglycine by a 5-step process wherein cyclopropanecarboxaldehyde is reacted with an &agr;-aminoalkylaromatic compound to obtain an imine which is reacted with a cyanide to produce an aminonitrile compound; the aminonitrile compound is hydrolyzed to the corresponding aminocarboxylic acid and finally the arylalkyl residue is removed from the amino group by hydrogenolysis.