Only Organic: Skip the Chemicals Campaign

Can I just say that I am a sucker for a great advertising campaign? Babies, puppies, Clydesdale horses, organic foods—bring it on.

So when Only Organic, a project of the nonprofit Organic Voices, recently launched their new Skip the Chemicals campaign, I couldn’t help but share it.

Turns out, more than 100 powerhouse organic-sector brands have combined forces to support this campaign and its message: skip the chemicals and just go with organic. This is the first time ever that so many organic industry giants have come together to show a campaign such overwhelming support. We’re talking brands like Amy’s Kitchen, Applegate, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Organic and more. Check out their campaign video, “The World’s Most Skippable Ad,” here.

Here’s a quick sampling of all the chemicals they call out that are prohibited from use on organic farms: Abamectin, Acephate, Acetamiprid, Aldicarb, Aldrin, Aluminum, Aminopyralid, Ammoniated Micronutrients, Ammonium Chloride, Ammonium Nitrate, Ammonium Sulfate, Anhydrous Ammonia, Aqua Ammonia, Atrazine, Avermectin, Azadirachtin, and Azoxystrobin. Yes, they really list all 700—and these are just the chemicals that start with the letter A.

Long story short, they’re saying that buying organic means protecting you and your family from all these toxic chemicals that are commonly used in both food production and conventional farming. The thing that I, perhaps, like the best about the Skip the Chemicals campaign is that textiles are also relevant.

Isn’t it sick to think about the fact that conventional cotton is the world’s dirtiest crop—dirtier than any non-organic food product—and that we consistently put it directly on our skin, and our babies’ skin (aka our bodies’ biggest organ)? We’re essentially allowing these chemicals to rub up against our bodies all day, including where the sun don’t shine. Not to mention the fact that dirty cotton is grown in the same fields that feed our families. No more conventional peanuts for me.

Per Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS), the organic cotton that Pact uses in all its products is never exposed to any of the 700-plus chemicals outlined in this campaign. This wave and momentum of support from the food industry is the same vision Pact has for the clothing industry.

Bravo to Only Organic on this important and memorable new campaign. You’re helping to change minds and change the world—and I can only hope that this same mindset spills over into the textile industry soon. To learn more, visit skipthechemicals.com.