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Discusses Colombia's environmental triumph of creating paper from sugar cane waste, instead of destroying trees. The sugar-cane-based paper come primarily from plants near Cali--in the midst of Colombia's sugar fields. American firms, W.R. Grace & Co. and International Paper; Background on developing paper products from sugar cane; The percentages of tree fiber needed for paper production; Propal as the second largest paper plant in the world; More.

Examines the economic growth of Colombia due to its printing and publishing industry. Colombia is now the largest exporter, after Spain, of Spanish-language books. The new president, 42-year-old liberal Cesar Gaviria, continuing to push for an open economy; Legitimate trade is booming; Aspects of the economy that are booming.

An interview with Néstor Rimoli, a partner at Ábaco Libros y Café in Cartageña, Colombia, is presented. According to Rimoli, the best non-Colombian customers at Ábaco are Brazilian, Venezuelan, Spanish, French and Italian. He claims that online retailing is not yet a significant competitive factor in Colombia bookselling. He cites the three reasons behind the slow adoption by Colombians of online retailing.

Reports on Portuguese writer Jose Saramago's donation of proceeds from sales of his book `El Cuento de la Isla Desconocida' to the victims of the January 1999 earthquake in Colombia. Amount expected to be received by the victims.