Cotton prices have rallied 35 percent since September as it tries to keep pace with corn and soybeans in the battle for acres this spring. Unlike dryland wheat, land that can grow cotton can also profitably produce corn and soybeans. Cotton requires 200 percent more chemical usage to produce than corn and soybeans. It is by contrast a non-food commodity. The production and consumption of meat has become controversial, both for health and environment reasons, and there is a push to replace animals with plant-based protein and cell-based muscle tissue production.  Unlike meat, substitutes for cotton have been in use for many decades. Most are derived from petroleum (polyester, nylon, and polypropylene), but there are other natural subst...

TAGS – China, North America, Macroeconomics