Sustainable football in the Amazon

adidas and Common Goal team up for an environmental project in Colombia 

The global activation of move for the planet, a campaign from adidas and Common Goal, in partnership with Fundación Tiempo de Juego, a football for good organisation, is supporting a multidisciplinary and environmentally focused project in Caquetá, Colombia. 

In the Amazonian region of Caquetá, residents' work opportunities are often connected to activities that damage their ecosystem. Not only this, the municipality of Florencia in Caquetá faces another major problem that obstructs the growth of the sport in the area and the preservation of the environment: plastic waste. 

Due to the repeated and painful loss of endemic tree species, as well as practices and resources such as single-use plastics that damage the Amazon, the project will develop a plan with two core actions to mitigate the environmental problems that most affect the area. 

Turning recycled materials into sports infrastructure:

The project focuses on the collection and recycling of plastic waste. This potentially serves as a source of income for the young people in the community who participate in the programme which interrupts the cycle of environmentally damaging job opportunities, but also as an essential part of the construction of the planned infrastructure from recycled plastic bottles.   

This space includes a spectator´s stand, new pots for the development of urban farming and the remodelling of the sports field to reconfigure places for children to play and grow through football. This also involves planting endemic trees to participate in the restoration of a damaged environment.

Education on environmental sustainability and sports:

For a long-lasting change and positive impact beyond the lifespan of the project, the programme ensures education on sustainability through the training of at least 15 young community members in reforestation, forest care and recycling techniques.  

There will be sports sessions focusing on environmental awareness and protection for 200 children and young people using the football3 methodology which is born out of dialogue and fairplay. Those sessions uplift the goal of sharing and uniting through football for the planet.  

“As long as football exists, there is hope,” said Andrés Wiesner, founder and president of Tiempo de Juego.