Farmers for Farmers

Support for Farmers as Club Bruges Launch A New Kind of Merch.

Sports merchandising is a huge source of revenue for football clubs, from kits to homeware to toys. But Belgium football club Club Bruges have launched a unique new kind of merch - locally grown vegetable boxes - which helps to support their large fan base of struggling local farmers beset by tough operational conditions.

Club Bruges fans are playfully teased by rival club fans by being called 'farmers' or 'peasants', due to its location in the midst of agricultural land. So the club resolved to embrace the scorn and support the troubled local farming community by launching ‘Farmers for Farmers’.

The initiative, which was created by independent creative agency Mutant, launched this Saturday 8th October at the home game with Westerlo supported with social media activations, wild postering in and around Bruges, and in stadium led boarding in the stadium during matches.
At every home game, Fans can order their box of locally produced vegetables online boerenvoorboeren.be or purchase in the Club Bruges fanstore at the stadium, next to the jerseys, scarves and other fan merch.

The number of farmers in Belgium applying for government financial assistance has increased by 44% in two years as more and more local producers are facing bankruptcy. Droughts, higher living costs and regulations from the Belgian government mean some farmers are forced to sow 20% less vegetables in an attempt to survive. The impact is not only financial but socially as generations of farming lignage is now under threat.