D – Brands Fashion, the textile company based in Buchholz, Germany, which launched the “From Field to Fan Shop” initiative in 2022 together with professional football clubs and Fairtrade Germany, has been distinguished with the 2026 Fairtrade Award in the Project Cooperation category.
In the first phase of the project, funded by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), 450 small-scale Indian farmers were lent support in switching over to sustainable, organic cotton farming and a wide range of sports programmes for children and young people were implemented. In the current ongoing second phase, which is scheduled to run until June 2028, with the aid of local NGOs and schools a total of 1,650 cotton producers will receive support and approximately 3,000 young people will be assisted in the scope of targeted training in areas such as equality, social skills and education. The participating football clubs, as purchasers of the cotton for their merchandise, play a vital role in raising awareness for more sustainable textiles among their fans.
The Brands Fashion team at the award ceremony of the Fairtrade Award.
The Fairtrade Award that is presented in various categories by a renowned jury with members from civil society, politics, business and media, recognises outstanding commitment to fair supply chains, humane working conditions, living wages and educational and awareness-raising efforts. “From the Field to the Fan Shop” leverages the power of sport to promote fairness in the world of merchandise. The jury explained that this powerful collaboration reaches millions of football fans.
“The ‘From the Field to the Fan Shop’ initiative allows us to strengthen fair trade relationships and promote sustainable textile value chains. The project connects social and environmental progress in India with more responsible consumption in Europe,” said Rabea Schafrick, Head of Sustainability at Brands Fashion, who accepted the award together with representatives from all project partners. “Winning the Fairtrade Award is fantastic confirmation for us that collaborative approaches along the entire supply chain can create real impact. We are very proud and thank everyone involved for their amazing commitment, because we can only bring about long-term change as a team,” said Mathias Diestelmann, CEO of Brands Fashion.
Photo: Tim Keweritsch
