Forest Green Rovers Football Club: a megaphone for the Planet

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the inevitable debates and forecasts on the outcome of the energy crisis, environmental issues, although still at the center of interest of associations and groups born to address them, seem to have a reduced space compared to recent years in the press and in public discussions.

However, the suffering of the planet and the repercussions on those who live here do not allow for further delays and hesitations, and day by day they continue to warn of the urgency of a trend reversal regarding our relationship with this planet that hosts us.

The Forest Green Rovers give an example of an unstoppable commitment to support the environmental cause, a football club that currently plays in League 1 (English third tier) despite representing a small town, Nailsworth, with only 7700 inhabitants.

The club has had sustainability at the heart of its projects since 2010, the year in which it was saved from bankruptcy by Dale Vince, an enlightened entrepreneur in the renewable energy sector with Ecotricity, awarded the title of Knight of the Order of the British Empire and appointed ‘Climate Champion’ by the United Nations for its commitment to the environment.

Dale Vince wanted to bring all the assets of sustainability to The Forest Green Rovers: energy, transport, and food, and he did it in a simple and direct way: solar panels on the roof of the stadium, biologically treated grass, recharging points for electric cars in the parking area, uniforms made from plants and a vegan diet for all staff, players, and fans. Following that, FGR is the first vegan team in the world and, upon certification by the United Nations, the first football club with zero emissions.

Thanks to the organization and dedication of The Human Exploring Society, I had the opportunity to interview Dale Vince to understand the motivations behind his social commitment.

Lucio de Candia (LdC)
What was the reason that prompted you to take over a football club in the midst of a financial and results crisis?

Dale Vince (DV)
I have loved football since childhood and have often attended Forest Green home games; I also strongly believe that this sport, being the most popular in the world, is a formidable vehicle for raising awareness on environmental issues.

LdC
Forest Green Rovers have been the first vegan club in the world since 2015. How was it possible to achieve this goal in just a few years?

DV
At the beginning it was necessary to promote knowledge of the subject and of the damage that the consumption of animal-based foods causes us and the environment. In reality, there hasn't been much resistance... in fact, footballers have to eat vegan only in training camps or before matches, at home they can do whatever they want, we certainly don't have the right to control them. But an increasing number of them have begun to follow our diet also in the family having noticed the positive effects on the field.

LdC
How did the fans welcome this news?

DV
Initially they were very skeptical but gradually curiosity prevailed and they realized that even vegan food is tasty and tasty, as well as healthy for us and the environment.

LdC
This is certainly not the context to talk about the effects of a vegan diet on consumers but can you tell us, with practical examples, how it helps to respect the environment? Some opponents of veganism also believe that producing food without an animal base results in the consumption of large amounts of water, energy and land.

DV
In the first place it is a question of sensitivity towards the animal world: eating animals means killing them. Furthermore, it is necessary to refer to empirical results that calculate the effective impact of animal husbandry and of the various crops on the environment. The consumption of meat presupposes that indirect water and food are used (that is, used to feed those who will be our food), not to mention the amount of land or meadows taken away from other purposes or from wild habitat. In England, for example, grass-based energy alone would lead to energy independence within a few decades. Not to mention deforestation and its effects on the climate.

LdC
What are the effects of veganism on football performance?

DV
The results in the field are the testimony of the goodness of our choice; we won the last League 2 championship, giving up animal-based foods, thanks to greater lightness and speed, a reduced number of injuries and an equally reduced recovery time.

LdC
Your T-shirts are produced organically; exactly as?

DV
The construction materials are plant-based ... we have also used coffee waste; we also plan to use pixels to produce digitally designed kits.

LdC
The word at the heart of your project is undoubtedly "sustainability", understood not only in an environmental sense. How does it symbolize your team's values?

DV
Sustainability must be understood in a broad, all-encompassing sense, starting from human relationships. Ours is a sustainable project because it takes people's needs into account and develops over time; it does not look only at immediate results but at the well-being and respect of the staff and players with whom we share a growth plan with our values ​​at its core, including that of solidarity and social justice.

LdC
Is your goal also to lead by example, acting as a catalyst for change?

DV
Certainly. The example is given with facts, in our case with sports results, and being catalysts means promoting the replicability and dissemination of new and good practices.

The author of this article, Lucio de Candia, is an Italian film director who has created two award-winning documentaries: La Terra Mé and Balkan Blues.
He is also a passionate traveler of Eastern European countries.

The author of the cover image is Martha Stephens, cofounder and editor of the nonprofit media activism platform The Human Exploring Society.
The artwork is released under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license.
Feel free to share it under the same rules.