Fair Trade Sports, Inc is the first sports equipment company in the US to launch a full line of eco-certified Fair Trade sports balls, ensuring fair wages and healthy working conditions for our adult workers. Be sure to also check out our sweatshop-free apparel. We have both an online retail store and wholesale store. Here are our product certifications.
We are committed to donate all profits after taxes to children’s charities, both domestic and international. Sound familiar? It’s a similar idea to the one behind the Newman’s Own brand you see in the grocery store. To learn more, take a quick trip over to our blog.
We expect to reach profitability by our third birthday in late 2009. Until then, we are donating $1000 annually to these charities, which benefit at-risk children worldwide.
Have a favorite charity to suggest? If it’s related to helping kids, then we’re interested. Drop us a line.
Here’s what others are saying about Fair Trade Sports in print and video:
 BusinessWeek Magazine |
 Outside Magazine |
 National Geographic: Green Guide |
 Seth Godin |
 Yahoo's Green Gift Guide |
 Mindful Life Award |
 Green America |
 Washington Post Newspaper |
 VegNews Magazine |
 Motto Magazine |
 Kiwi Magazine |
 LA Daily Newspaper |
 Supporter Magazine |
 Plenty Magazine |
 Sierra Club |
 Treehugger |
 Zem |
 Experience Life Magazine |
 Kitsap Sun Newspaper |
 Puget Sound Business Journal |
 Green America (interview p. 12) |
 Seattle Times Newspaper |
 Baylor University Magazine |
 US Airways Magazine |
 University of Notre Dame Magazine |
VIDEO
Quick summary of the unique aspects of our sports balls:
National Geographic’s Green Guide :: environmentally friendly gifts are hot
ABC’s KOMO 4 News :: green gifts
New York’s WPIX News :: green gear
NBC’s KING 5 News :: how to pack an eco-friendly picnic
FOX 2 News :: Fair Trade Market
Groovy Green the “trifecta” of sports balls
ZapRoot :: eco-friendly basketballs
University of Washington :: Future of Fair Trade
Mother Nature Network :: green SuperBowl party
And here’s one of the talks FTS Founder Scott James did recently about the intersection we are creating between the world of sports and the sustainability movement:
done…and the Q&A session from that talk:
done
Need more information? Here are a few posts that will give you some insight into our goals of running an authentic and transparent company:
- Our team
- Volume discount pricing for Fair Trade sports balls
- What others are saying about us
- Secrets revealed – rude FAQ!
- The story always matters
- Our children’s charities
- Who is stitching your sports ball?
- Where are your sports balls from?
- The benefits of Fair Trade
- How you can help, Part I and Part II
For our extended team (and interested customers), be sure to peruse our company’s Focal Areas.
Interested in helping us spread the word? Have a blog? Well then…
↑ Grab this blog animation for your site
Or ping us directly for additional information:
[...] we move from coffee beans to volley balls. Fair Trade Sports in Seattle is making what they call “Fair Trade, Eco-Friendly Sports Balls”. Not only [...]
[...] and I’m sure the bright orange soccer ball is going to get some good use soon. In the meantime here’s a little history and information about Fair Trade [...]
[...] sees an opportunity such as this one to get the word out about Fair Trade, don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know. This is a “grass roots” sort of movement that requires conscientious [...]
Hi there I am looking for soccer jerseys that are not just regular Tshirts but are fair trade certified. Are either the Performance tee or the crewneck tee this type of jersey (I just can’t tell from the picture). I was wondering if it could be arranged to have them in other colours such as red, orange, green or yellow.
Thanks a lot
Mark
You bet, Mark. We can help. I’ll have someone contact you tomorrow AM.
- Scott
Greetings!
It is wonderful to see the fair trade philosophy integrated into sports! Village Markets of Africa is a fair trade initiative of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church. We offer over 200 fair trade products that are handcrafted and purchased from our church-managed artisan cooperatives around Africa. We eliminate middle men and return profits to develop cooperatives in the form of grants, microloans, production upgrades and job training.
I would love to sell your soccer balls from our website!
Please visit http://www.villagemarketsofafrica.com for more information on how we do fair trade!
Jacob Schmalzle
US Coordinator
Village Markets of Africa
http://www.villagemarketsofafrica.com
(888) 4-VMA-STORE
Hello Scott,
Anyway, I hope I can help out. I live in California and would be delighted to find wholesale customers for you. Please let me know what you think. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing back from you!
We met at the San Francisco Green Festival about a year ago. I was making the documentary film on climate change (which is done). I am a sales representative and am looking for eco-friendly lines to represent. I now represent an eco-friendly jewelry line and will soon represent a children’s book on the redwoods and perhaps an all-natural BBQ Sauce. I am always looking for new lines to carry, and yours stands out. I have always wanted to be a part of the green movement, and I feel like getting “green” products out that is a great way to just do it. Great, now Nike will sue me.