An open letter to Federico Addiechi, Fifa’s head of corporate social responsibility
Fifa. Be true to the spirit of the World Cup mascot Fuleco and make a long-lasting commitment to the conservation of the Brazilian three-banded armadillo. It’s a win-win opportunity that’s too good to miss
With the World Cup about to kick off, it's probably a bad time to be sending a petition to Fifa, calling on them to help save the threatened Brazilian three-banded armadillo. But sod it. Needs must.
Before the final whistle blows on the Brazil 2014 World Cup in one month’s time, I would like FIFA to announce a serious commitment to the conservation of the Caatinga of northeast Brazil, home to the threatened three-banded armadillo or “tatu-bola” (the species that gave life to the Brazil 2014 mascot Fuleco). In the name of Fuleco, a fusion of the words “Futbol” and “Ecologia”, I urge FIFA to seize this win-win opportunity.
This is the gist of an open letter I have written to Federico Addiechi, Fifa’s Head of Corporate Responsibility via Change.org.
In a post I published on Monday, I explained how, in 2012, Fifa introduced the world Fuleco, the mascot for Brazil 2014 inspired by theBrazilian three-banded armadillo. But, as yet, Fifa has made no direct contribution to the conservation of this endemic and highly threatened species.
This just doesn't seem right.
In January 2013, conservationists met with Fifa's secretary general Jérôme Valcke to discuss ways in which Brazil 2014 might leave a lasting legacy for the Caatinga, a unique ecological zone in the northeast of Brazil and one of the last strongholds of this armadillo. At Valcke’s suggestion, the same conservationists subsequently sent a series of concrete proposals to Fifa’s head of social responsibility Federico Addiechi, including the idea that a small proportion of Fuleco-related profits be set aside for the conservation of the Caatinga and the armadillo (or “tatu-bola” as it’s known in Brazil).
“It is not fair that the Brazil 2014 World Cup should be making so much from the image of the tatu-bola but at the same time FIFA is not committed or interested in helping the protection of the species with a small part of this profit,” says Rodrigo Castro, executive director of theCaatinga Association, an NGO that champions conservation of this poorly protected region. “If Fuleco is helping the World Cup to be so profitable, why can’t the same event not give back part of this income to save the animal?”
This seems like a perfectly reasonable question. A clear financial commitment by FIFA towards the conservation of the Caatinga would not cost much and would bring long-term rewards to football’s governing body that would far outweigh the negligible dent to its profits.
It is a rare case of a win-win situation, one that is too good to miss. All that remains is for Fifa to seize the opportunity.
If you agree, perhaps you would consider signing my online petition to Fifa’s head of corporate responsibility Federico Addiechi.
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