All of Patagonia's cotton products are slated to go organic as of
Spring 1996, according to the May 1995 Patagonia Globe. The
Globe notes that this is not the final step, "because even organic
cotton clothes entail practices that pollute: mechanical pickers
guzzle gas, spray drifts from other fields, we use harmful dyes
and we ship goods too many times at too many stages."
For further information, contact Patagonia, 259 W. Santa Clara
St., Ventura, CA 93001.
"Patagonia To Switch To Organic Cotton," PATAGONIA GLOBE,
May 1995.
ORGANIC COTTON PILLOWS
Healthware 2 Bodycare (H2B), a San Francisco-based wholesale
and mail-order company, recently introduced an organic cotton
relaxation pillow line. The naturally colored cotton fabrics are
made from cotton grown on certified organic farms which use
crop rotation, soil composting and beneficial insects to control
pests. To request a free catalogue or to order products directly,
call 1-800-829-6580.
HERBICIDE-TOLERANT COTTON
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given three-
year approval to Calgene, Inc. to plant 250,000 acres of
bromozynil-tolerant cotton, at the end of which Calgene must
prove that growers will use fewer, more effective and less
environmentally harmful weed killers. The EPA is also
interested in finding out if the herbicide tolerance might
accidentally be transferred from cotton to weeds.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said the conditional
approval suggests hesitation about expanding the use of
compounds such as bromozynil. "We applaud EPA's
requirement that the companies collect data on the products'
benefits," said Jane Rissler, a UCS plant pathologist. "But even if
the developers show a decline in herbicide use, they would
have only achieved a minor reduction in the overall use of toxic
herbicides."
Robert Greene, "Biotech Cotton," AP, May 28, 1995.
U.S. & INDIA REVOKE COTTON PATENTS
In other biotech news, the United States recently followed
India's lead to revoke a controversial sweeping patent on all
genetically engineered varieties of cotton given to Agracetus, a
U.S. agrochemical corporation. India was the first country to
grant a patent to Agracetus to produce genetically engineered
cotton varieties in May 1992. The U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office (PTO) granted the patent to Agracetus later in 1992. In
response to protests from global environmental groups, India's
Prime Minister ordered the revocation of the patent in
February 1994, which took until October 1994 to complete.
The U.S. followed suit and started the revocation process in
December 1994. The revocation is being contested by
Agracetus.
N. Suresh, "US Too Revokes Patent on Cotton," THE TIMES OF
INDIA, June 9, 1995.
U.S. SHIPPERS EXPECT RECORD EXPORTS, FREIGHT RATE
INCREASES
U.S. cotton shippers are looking forward to a big export crop
starting this fall. Prices should continue to be strong due to
weather and pest problems plaguing major Pacific Rim
suppliers such as India, Australia, and China along with
increased cotton consumption worldwide. Pakistani officials
now claim that despite earlier problems, their cotton crop is
back on track and they will have enough to meet their local
requirements, U.S. cotton exports are expected to total a near-
record 10.2 million bales, the highest export volume in the last
70 years. Some of these exports will be going to the Pacific Rim
countries, and shipping lines in the Pacific are preparing for a
meeting June 22 in Memphis with cotton shippers to talk
about freight rates for the coming season. "There will be a rate
increase," said Albert A. Pierce, managing director of the
Transpacific Westbound Rate Agreement (TWRA), the
conference of shipping lines that set rates in the westbound
Pacific trade. The new rate is to be announced later in June.
Last year, the TWRA increased freight rates for cotton about
10%.
High domestic cotton prices have triggered a special U.S. import
quota that will allow entry of upland cotton equal to one
week's domestic mill use, according to the USDA. The quota
applies to upland cotton purchased no later than August 28
and brought in to the United States no later than November 26,
1995.
Bill Mongelluzo, "Cotton Growers Expect Export, Rate Growth,"
JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, June 5, 1995; "High Cotton Prices
Trigger Eighth Cotton Quota," REUTER, May 25, 1995; "Cotton
Crop Recovers in India, Official Says," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE,
June 6, 1995; William DiBenedetto, "Shippers Bemoan
Impending Increases in TWRA Surcharges: Cotton Cooperative
Considers Switch to Independents," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE,
June 6, 1995.
STUDY FINDS COTTON FAVORED IN ASIAN ECONOMIES
Cotton is becoming the fabric of choice in more developed
economies because it is seen as natural, pure, and comfortable,
according to a survey commissioned by Cotton Council
International, the U.S. cotton industry's marketing arm.
"People in an undeveloped society will go for natural fibers
because that's all there is," said an industry analyst. "Once the
economy is in an upswing, they will choose synthetics
and blends. And when a society matures, it comes back to
natural fibers."
"Study: Cotton Is King in More Affluent Asian Economies,"
JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, May 22, 1995.
CHINA'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN TROUBLE
China's official press reported last month that most large and
medium-sized state textile mills have closed or are working
only half-time because of tight cotton supplies. Textiles
account for 30% of China's exports, 16% of total industrial
output, and the industry employs 15 million people. According
to the USDA, China, traditionally a significant exporter of cotton,
has now surpassed Russia as the world's leading importer of
cotton in the 1994-95 marketing year.
"China's Hold on Cotton in Danger of Unraveling," REUTER, May
19, 1995; "Boll Worm Strikes China Cotton Growing Regions,"
REUTER, June 10, 1995; "China Rises to No. 1 Among Cotton
Importers," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, June 14, 1995.
________________________________________________
EVENTS
________________________________________________
Alligators, Organics & You: Replacing Pesticides and Advancing
Alternatives. Join Pesticide Action Network participants from
North America and around the world at PAN North America's
regional conference September 17-19, 1995, in Menlo Park,
California. Early bird registration deadline is August 1, regular
registration deadline is September 1. For more information,
contact PANNA at 116 New Montgomery, Suite 810, San
Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 541-9140, fax (415)
541-9253, email panna@panna.org
IFOAM '96: The 11th International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Scientific Conference and the
First Organic World Exhibition will be held in Copenhagen,
Denmark, August 11-15, 1996. For more information, contact
The Danish Association of Organic Agriculture, Secretariat:
IFOAM'96, Blegdamsveg 4, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark;
phone +45 3537 2096, fax +45 3537 4096, email
ifoam96@login.dknet.dk
________________________________________________
RESOURCES
________________________________________________
TWIN is a group working to strengthen the capacity of
producer organizations in Asia, Africa and Latin America to
trade independently. The Network, TWIN's quarterly
newsletter, aims to provide practical and impartial information
in support of this activity. The April-June 1995 issue of The
Network is entitled "From Cotton to Textiles to Clothing," and
contains chapters on organic cotton production and genetic
engineering of cotton. For information on ordering this
publication, contact TWIN, Fourth Floor, 5-11 Worship Street,
London, EC 2A 2BH, UK; phone +44 171 628 6878, fax +44 171
628 1859, email twin@gn.apc.org
________________________________________________
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>.
Jackie Hunt Christensen
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
1313 5th St. SE, #303
Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
phone: 612-379-5980
fax: 612-379-5982
e-mail: iatp@iatp.org