Soccer balls are produced in industrial facilities. The first step in the overall process is to prepare the exterior panels. Sheets of synthetic leather are strengthened with the addition of thin polyester cloth. The cloth is attached with a latex adhesive. Cheaper balls have only one or two layers of cloth attached. A more sturdy and expensive ball will have three or four layers. This increases the durability of the soccer ball. Once dry, the sheets of leather are cut in a die-cutting machine. This is how those recognizable hexagonal panels on all soccer balls are created. Then these cut panels are taken to a silkscreen area to be imprinted with the logo and any special designs unique to each manufacturer.

Pakistan is the largest producer of footballs, with India in the second place. Despite of the difficulty of the job, wages are incredibly low. Also, the use of child labour and unfair labour practice in the sporting goods industry has been a major issue and has been addressed by many NGOs and media. In this situation, through labelling, Fairtrade aims to support these campaigns by certifying those factories which ensure safe and good working conditions for the employees as well as no child labour and support the empowerment and development of the workers and stitchers. In the football industry, the Fairtrade Certification Mark should become the reference for excellence and promoting development through sound business practices.
Vision Technologies Corporation, a football factory in Pakistan, is Fairtrade Certified since 2002. Vision is situated in the city of Sialkot in the north-east of the country, the centre of sport balls industry. Between 25,000 and 30,000 of Sialkot’s 500,000 inhabitants work in this branch.