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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
FIFA Foundation, in partnership with an Indian head-quartered agro-chemical manufacturing company UPL Ltd, have joined forces to promote and raise awareness about sustainable development in agriculture and education in society through football.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at a high level ceremony at the Fifa Museum in Zurich, Switzerland, by Gianni Infantino (president of Fifa and the Fifa Foundation Board), Mauricio Macri (executive chairman of the Fifa Foundation), Youri Djorkaeff (Fifa Foundation chief executive officer), Fatma Samoura (Fifa secretary-general), UPL chief executive officer Jai Shroff and UPL chief operating officer Diego Lopez Casanello.

As part of the new memorandum of understanding (MoU), the Fifa Foundation and UPL will work together, using football as a platform to raise awareness about several key social and environmental issues, including the positive impact that sustainable development, environmental protection, educating young people and leading a healthy and active lifestyle can make within society.

“In particular, UPL will collaborate within the Fifa Foundation’s Football for Schools Programme, designed to engage children in interactive education sessions focused on developing life skills and promoting values through football. Furthermore, UPL will also co-ordinate access to the Fifa Football for Schools Programme for up to 30 schools in rural areas in Brazil, as well as engaging with local authorities in key markets,” said Fifa in a media statement.

UPL, with branches in over 130 countries, and the Fifa Foundation will also work together to support sustainable development objectives and environmental protection efforts through a 10-year programme that will enable the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and reward smallholder farmers in developing markets for adopting sustainable agricultural practices.

The Fifa Foundation is an independent entity with the objectives of helping promote positive social change around the world and raising support for the recovery and reconstruction of damaged or destroyed sports infrastructure worldwide.