Inside Report (5)

You've heard of cotton candy, but how about ''cotton bread''? Proposed solutions to feeding and clothing the world have included developing exotic crops like the jojoba and winged bean. But the Agriculture Department and US cotton producers have begun touting the familiar cotton plant as the next ''miracle'' crop. In recent years cotton lost favor and market share to synthetic fabrics. Now dramatic technical advances are helping producers turn out a cleaner, higher-quality cotton at lower cost.

Along with the sparkling revival in the textiles market, cotton (in the form of cottonseed oil) is being used more and more as a substitute for peanut butter , and in the making of candies, high-protein cereals, and, yes, bread.