Eagle Canyon, a home-based mail order company in Seal Beach,
California, announced this week that its complete catalog of
organic cotton clothing and natural personal care products is
available on the Internet
<http://www.deltanet.com/users/ecanyon>.
Since its founding in 1993, the company has been looking
forward to the day when it can go completely electronic.
Chris McFarlane, owner of the company, said "We9ve all become
aware of the damage we do to the environment by our excessive
use of paper and the Internet provides the perfect
opportunity for all businesses to promote themselves without
paper. Ten years from now, the idea of sending a paper
catalog to a customer will be obsolete."
The cost of maintaining a web site is less expensive than the
monthly cost of a quarter page ad in most publications.
Sharp color images are available without the cost of color
printing. And the Internet is flexible and dynamic allowing
frequent changes in copy, products offered, price updates,
event announcements and special promotions. "What I like
best is that I can update my electronic catalog to reflect
shifts in inventory as certain products become unavailable or
prices change and I don9t have to wait three months to catch
up like I do with magazine advertising or wait until my
supply of catalogs runs out," says McFarlane.
"We9ve all been complaining that organic cotton hasn9t been
promoted well enough by the big companies to make a real dent
in the market," McFarlane says. "This is a cost effective
way for big and small companies alike to educate the public
and promote their products." The owner of Eagle Canyon hopes
the company can be completely electronic by the end of 1996.
If you would like assistance establishing a web site, call
Chris McFarlane at (310) 596-9878 or send email inquiries to
<ecanyon@deltanet.com>.
ORGANIC COTTON TAMPONS
Cotton Plus Ltd. of Texas will have organic cotton tampons
available in the next few weeks. For more information,
including a fact sheet on organic cotton tampons, cotton
production, and dioxin, contact Mary Catherine Furlow at 806-
439-6646.
GROWERS USING GARLIC FOR PEST CONTROL
According to a recent news release, some Texas cotton growers
are applying a pure garlic juice called Garlic Barrier to
their crops to protect them from insects. The juice, which
is extracted from the oil of the garlic bulb, may cause the
insects to believe they are in a garlic patch and to stop
eating. The juice has also been used on home gardens, fruit
trees and other commercially grown vegetables.
"New Use for Garlic," THE PACKER, December 4, 1995.
BOSWELL OUT OF ORGANIC COTTON
California-based Boswell, the world's largest conventional
cotton producer, abandoned efforts in organic cotton mid-
summer this year. In a recent phone interview with Organic
Cotton Monitor staff, a Boswell spokesperson said the organic
cotton was a "research project" that accounted for less than
one-tenth of one percent of their total cotton acreage. Weed
control and defoliation problems were listed as central to
the decision to discontinue organic cotton. The company has
no plans for organic cotton production in the near future.
MESA SEEKS HOST FARMERS
Multilateral Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), a
nonprofit exchange program, seeks U.S. organic farmers
(particularly in the Western U.S.) who would like to host an
international farmer for one full year, beginning in April-
May 1996. For more information, contact Lauren E. Augusta,
phone 510-654-8858, fax 510-845-0861, email
<mesa@hooked.net>, or write MESA, 5337 College Avenue, Suite
508, Oakland, CA 94618.
GLOBAL MARKETPLACE INTELLIGENCE
PAKISTAN: In November, Pakistan textile workers said their
industry could collapse if the government did not ensure
adequate cotton supplies by banning exports immediately.
"Wholehearted and courageous measures are necessary to bail
out the textile industry before it is too late and damage
becomes irreparable," the Multan Chamber of Commerce and
Industry said in a statement.
"Pakistan Textile Makers Seek Cotton Export Ban," REUTERS,
November 16, 1995.
INDIA: In similar news, India's cotton mill and spinning
lobbies have urged the government to hold off on cotton
exports because accurate 1995-96 output data are not yet
prepared. The Southern India Small Spinners Association said
that exports shouldn't be allowed until May, by which time a
more precise estimate on production and demand will be
available.
"India's Mills, Spinners Fight Cotton Exports," THE JOURNAL
OF COMMERCE, November 9, 1995.
CHINA: The International Cotton Advisory Council has
increased its estimate of this season's cotton production in
China. The Washington D-based ICAC made corresponding cuts
to China's projected cotton import requirements, and lowered
its predictions for average cotton prices for the next two
seasons.
Laurie Morse, "Bigger Chinese Cotton Crop Estimated,"
FINANCIAL TIMES, December 6, 1995.
BRAZIL: Brazil is falling short of the 800,000 tons of
cotton that its national textile industry demands, forcing
increased imports from its partners in the Southern Common
Market (MERCOSUR). In 1986, Brazil's cotton harvest
amounted to 970,000 tons, allowing the country to export
surplus production. By 1993, the harvest had dropped to
420,000 tons. This year, the Agriculture Ministry is
expecting a yield of 565,000 tons. Argentina and Paraguay
will supply the bulk of Brazil's cotton imports.
"Brazil: Cotton Follows Wheat in Downturn," SUNS, November
13, 1995.
_________________________________________
RESOURCES
_________________________________________
Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) has many
online resources covering issues of interest to organic
cotton producers. The PANNA Update Service (PANUPS) is a
weekly news service featuring articles on pesticide use and
sustainable agriculture from around the world, as well as
action alerts and conference reports. To subscribe to
PANUPS, send email to <majordomo@igc.apc.org> with the
message "subscribe panups." The PANNA Home Page can be found
at <http://www.panna.org/panna>. For assistance or for more
information, contact PANNA at 116 New Montgomery, Suite 810,
San Francisco, CA 94105. Phone 415-541-9105, fax 415-541-
9253, email <panna@panna.org>.
The December 1995 issue of FARM AID NEWS features organic
farming. FARM AID NEWS is posted electronically on SANET, or
contact the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy at
612-379-5980 to have a copy mailed or faxed.
_________________________________________
EVENTS
_________________________________________
16th Annual Ecological Farming Conference at Asilomar in
Pacific Grove, CA, January 24-27, 1996. Over 50 workshops
will be featured, plus a bus tour of organic farms, the Eco-
Farm talent show, organic wine tasting, and business
displays. For more information, contact the Committee for
Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) at 408-778-7366.
The Third National Integrated Pest Management Symposium
Workshop will be held February 27 to March 1, 1996 in
Washington, D The theme for the workshop is "Reaching the
National IPM Goal." The meeting will have traditional IPM
research and extension workshops plus a series of workshops
and sessions focusing on the economic, environmental, public
health, and social impacts of IPM and team building for IPM
implementation. For more information, contact Barry J.
Jacobsen, USDA IPM Coordinator at 202-401-4230 or email
<bjacobsen@reeusda.gov>.
______________________________________________
Produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade
Policy, Mark Ritchie, President. Editor: Kate Hoff,
e-mail <iatp@iatp.org>. E-mail versions are available
free of charge to Econet and IATPnet subscribers. For
information about fax or mail subscriptions or for a
list of other IATP publications, contact the Institute
for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 1313 5th St. SE, Suite
303, Minneapolis, MN 55414. 612-379-5980, fax: 612-379-
5982, e-mail <iatp@iatp.org>. For information about
IATP's contract research services, contact Dale Wiehoff
at IATP <dwiehoff@iatp.org>.