#4270: Gill replies to Poincy on development (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: markgill <markgill@clas.net>


>
> A cotton economy or staple economy for that matter is one where the
> major, if not the sole, economic activity revolves around this
> particular product. Usually there are no derivative industries from it
> whether the potential is there or not

now, this is the point of real economic development.....that is, where
development of one industry provides the development of derivative
companies......for example....in the US, consider the automobile
companies....think of all the industries this one item, the car, has
spawned.....this is what real development means, and is the reason the
electronic assembly industry did not contribute to real development....

regarding cotton, it is most doubtful that much can come from this
anymore.....cotton requires nutrient rich land, and after some period of
time, must lie fallow in order to revitalize itself....or else be heavily
fertilized......this would be a high cost type of development, and
considering the competition in the textile industry anyway, it is doubtful
that textiles from Haiti could compete in today's market, with the
development of this same industry in the rich lands of Asia and Central
America...lands, by the way, that have not been denuded of forests and
subject to heavy erosion....