1. FC Union Berlin rely on sustainably produced merchandise, and not just since they started labelling corresponding goods with their own DUFTE seal in 2020. The club have been offering sustainably produced fan merchandise since 2017, and more than 90 percent of the textile items in the Union store are now made from sustainably produced materials.

When the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) launched the Vom Feld in den Fanshop (From Field to Fan Shop) initiative for sustainably produced fan textiles in spring 2022, Union were quick to sign up. With the aim of promoting the sustainable production of fan merchandise and raising awareness of environmental issues, the initiative is involved with a cotton cooperative in India, among other things.

Almost three weeks ago, a delegation of project partners, consisting of representatives from nine football clubs in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, the clothing company Brands Fashion, and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), travelled to Tiruppur in India to see for themselves how the project is progressing.

When the project group was last there about two years ago, the focus was on visiting the cotton fields and exchanging ideas with the smallholder farmers. The aim of this year's trip was to visit a newly built cotton-processing factory that meets the highest climate standards and offers excellent working conditions for its employees. In addition, other cotton-processing plants such as a dye works, a knitting mill and a bag factory were inspected.

For Gordon Knebel, Head of Merchandising and Licences at Union, promoting merchandise that is produced in an environmentally friendly way and under fair working conditions has always been a top priority. "It is also important to us to be in constant dialogue with our partners and to be able to see for ourselves on site that we can achieve our goals together," he explained. "Dyeing the fabrics, for example, is a production process that uses a lot of water. However, with its own wastewater treatment plant and special filters, it is possible to reuse almost 90 percent of the water used." 

Besides visiting the production sites, the trip also included a sports festival. The ‘From the Field to the Fan Shop’ initiative not only promotes the sustainable production of textiles, but also peaceful coexistence, educational opportunities and better future prospects for children and young people through sports programmes.