Fair Trade Sports

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Fair Trade Sports is a sports ball provider based in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 2006 by Scott and Susan James and follows a "Newman's Own" business model.

The company is a for-profit S-Corporation. Once the company is profitable, Scott and Susan James will receive all after-tax proceeds, then donate them to Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Room to Read International. The company donates $1000 annually to each of these children's charities until it produces after-tax profits.

The sports balls provided by Fair Trade Sports are certified Fair Trade by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) and eco-certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Sports balls were among the first non-agricultural products to be certified Fair Trade by the FLO. The future of the Fair Trade movement into non-agricultural products is discussed on this Utne Reader podcast ^[1]. Fair Trade in relation to the international trading system is discussed by the Sierra Club^[2]. The ecological aspects of sports balls are discussed on Grist^[3].

The balls are manufactured by Talon Sports in Sialkot, Pakistan. Fair Trade Sports' product range includes: soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs, rugby balls, futsal balls, and basketballs.

The marketing tactics of the company are described by Plenty Magazine^[4] (guerrilla marketing) and by Outside Magazine^[5] (green marketing).