Fair Trade Soccer

While fair play is widely promoted in soccer, fair trade is a concept that has little awareness. In 1995, a documentary on CBS showed viewers that children were involved in the production of soccer balls, and in 1996 a publication brought further attention to child labor in the production of sports balls and apparel. Even to this day, most soccer products are still being made by laborers with poor working conditions and wages.
The beneficial impact that the fair trade standard has had on the laborer is difficult to establish since there is minimal data available. Individual testimonials have been positive, but the main reliance of the consumer is placed on the certifying party to monitor said companies and maintain regulations deemed ethical.
A Developing Industry
Those interested in enjoying the sport of soccer with ethically made clothing and balls often have limited knowledge of the available options. While fair trade in soccer is lagging behind that of many other fair trade industries that have undergone significant growth (e.g., coffee, bananas, chocolate), there has been a rising support for the products. An annual fair trade soccer match is held in Vancouver, Canada to increase awareness.
Soccer Balls
In recent years there has been an increase in the number of companies who have received fair trade certification for their soccer balls (e.g., Senda Athletics, Etiko's Fair Trade Shop, and Social Conscience: Fair Trade Sports Balls). The quality of the balls depends on the company, but range from amateur to very high quality and Fifa certified. Unfortunately, most of these companies are still quite small and require their products to be purchased online and shipped.
Soccer Shoes
There are as of yet no soccer shoes that have received fair trade certification. However, there are some soccer shoes that are not made in sweatshops (e.g., Botas, Cinquestelle). As these companies do not have a certification attached to them, the consumer cannot immediately know with what minimal standard the shoes were manufactured. While inquires directed at the company may reveal relevant information, the individual consumer would first have to know which companies to ask. Therein lies the main dilemma, in that it is difficult to find a company that manufactures their soccer shoes in a manner outside the norm of today. A directory of companies that ethically produce soccer shoes does not exist, but would indeed be very helpful to the consumer.

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