German football clubs for sustainable merchandising
Together with BRANDS Fashion, nine football clubs are bringing sustainably produced cotton to fan shops. The clubs are not only united by their passion for football, but also by their commitment to sustainability. With the "From Field to Fanshop" initiative, they are drawing fans' attention to an issue close to their hearts: small farmers, youth development and environmental protection.
The HSV-Volksparkstadion served as the venue for an important meeting during the Merchandising Messe Hamburg, which brought together managers from sport and industry. The "From Field to Fanshop" initiative brought together those responsible for sustainability and merchandising from the nine participating football clubs, who met with the partners from BRANDS Fashion and GIZ to reflect on the successes of the past year and plan future steps. Particularly since the impressive delegation trip in January, the clubs' increased enthusiasm and binding commitment were clearly noticeable. HSV invited the delegation to its premises.
Since the start of activities in the province of Gujarat, the initiative has already recorded its first successes: Over 1,260 young people have benefited from the after-school sports programmes, not only improving their sporting skills. Sport also contributes to their mental health and teaches values such as fair play, team spirit and tolerance.
However, the initiative's activities do not only take place on the pitch. 450 Indian smallholder farmers are embarking on a journey towards growing organic cotton. They took part in extensive training on site, with the result that their harvest was certified as "Organic in Conversion" in 2023. This cotton is already being used by BRANDS Fashion to produce environmentally friendly fan merchandise and is now available in the form of jumpers in the respective fan shops, for example.
The smallholders are supported throughout the entire cultivation cycle. At the start of the new cotton season, for example, they deepened their knowledge of soil preparation - they learnt how to work the soil or how far apart they should ideally plant the seeds in order to achieve optimum yields. During the growth phase, the farmers learn about optimal irrigation, as this is essential for the correct growth of the plant.
Through the "From Field to Fanshop" initiative, the football clubs are demonstrating that a joint commitment to greater sustainability has an impact on all three dimensions: social, ecological and economic.
For those who are only partially familiar with this project, it is worth taking a look at the following page.
