Comments on: Of cotton and colonialism

By: Golakiya sanjay

Golakiya sanjay — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:36:56 +0000

Dear. Sir/madam Hope u will fine for cotton buying contect us

By: Brian Hayes

Brian Hayes — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 22:43:20 +0000

Thanks. You've posted a superb overview of the cotton trade, colonialism and globalization.

It starts 6,000 years ago with a snippet describing cotton as 'tree wool', carries us along the traditions of growing cotton in India and Africa, swings us through British colonialism and industrialization and through America's slavery driven success with cotton, offers an ascerbic quote while Ghandi is lifting India toward independence, provides a short picture of the world's current cotton trade, and concludes with serious questions about the tactics of dominant players that remain powerful in a free market that may not be free nor fair.

By: Monika

Monika — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 16:47:16 +0000

Trade barriers issues aside, cotton, as historically important as it has been, is also one dirty crop nowadays: the production of conventionally grown cotton uses 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides. I have been buying clothes made from (mostly India grown) organic cotton for a while, and it’s not only green practice: I find it that the organic fibers are substantially stronger, and much much better quality. The organic cotton towels alone are totally worth the higher price tag. Of US companies, Patagonia in particular makes good use of organic cotton in the clothes they sell, and Gaiam has been steadily gaining ground. India has definitely a good share of the raw fiber market, though productivity is low as compared to other countries. The “organic” label has some problems, and it may be good to have other, meaningful certifications developed in the future, but India will do good to expand its organic cotton production and get serious about selling clothes made from it. Here’s an article on how these programs work in India; this one is from Gaiam, so the content is rather heart warming and fluffy but there are useful bits of data in there: http://community.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/ThePeopleTouchedbyOrganicCottonPart1of3.html

By: chetchow

chetchow — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:54:38 +0000

Although Old World rice and wheat dominate the carbohydrate basis of the human diet in most of the world, it is difficult to imagine any complex cuisine not based on such New World plants as chili peppers (hot or sweet), tomatoes, potatoes, green and dried beans, pecans, cashews, peanuts, and squash. Furthermore, large populations of humans depend on New World corn and manioc as their main carbohydrate; and corn is the basis of the food pyramid for farm animals around the world. Not to mention avocados and chocolate. Where civilization started, in the Near East, the native plants that became important include wheat, rye, barley, oats, cucumbers, figs, peas, lentils, olives, walnuts, dates, apricots, pears, and grapes. From Europe we have garlic, onions, beets, the cabbage family, lettuce, cherries, apples, carrots, parsley, and the minty herbs. Other plants were domesticated in Asia, including rice, and New Guinea -- bananas and taro.

Oddly, there is one plant that was domesticated in both the Old and New worlds -- cotton. Perhaps its mobile seeds were a factor, although some archaeologists suspect that somehow cotton was transferred by humans in very early pre-Columbian contact. Cotton does get around. One wild variety is found in Hawaii.

http://www.answers.com/topic/old-and-new-world-plants-meet

People seem to know that rubber, tobacco or quinine originated in the Americas but seem surprised that everyday food products like chillies, potatoes,tomatoes,peanuts, guavas, papaya or sapota came from elsewhere. Coming from Andhra its quite interesting to note that people are unaware that hot chillies, which form the base for the spicy food from the state, came from the Americas. And so did the potatoes (batatas in Marathi and Pourtugese).

An interesting aside is about traditional brahmins excluding onions and garlic from their diet. Wonder when these were introducted to India and why ritual restrictions were put up against them.

By: Naiverealist

Naiverealist — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:51:21 +0000

Thanks JAIN MAN.

Manmohan Singh refers to Angus Maddison in this speech.

By: siddhartha

siddhartha — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:14:00 +0000

If I see another article about empires keeping browns and blacks down I'm going to stop reading Sepia.

We'll miss you, darling.

By: JAIN MAN

JAIN MAN — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:26:44 +0000

http://www.theworldeconomy.org/publications/worldeconomy/MaddisontableB-18.pdf

By: Ennis

Ennis — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:53:01 +0000

Despite the fact that production is spread out all over the world (in 2004, cotton was grown in about 100 countries), four countries alone (China, the USA, India, and Pakistan) account for approximately two thirds of world output. [Link]

By: ooga booga

ooga booga — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 06:58:10 +0000

Does Indian still produce cotton? – Growing and making it into garments?

By: Saheli

Saheli — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 04:48:53 +0000

Oog, so much to think and write about. However, for now I will note that not only is cotton Indian, but so is cane sugar–another extremely significant crop in the development of the global economy.