"We refuse to become a European province for the dirty industrial production of ultra-processed food!" was the sharp message from the massive protest "NO! to the chicken eco-bomb," organized on Saturday, February 21, in Zagreb. The event was coordinated by Zelena akcija/Friends of the Earth Croatia, Animal Friends Croatia, and four civic initiatives from various municipalities in the Sisačko-moslavačka County of Croatia.
Zrinjevac Park in Zagreb proved too small for more than 5 000 people who gathered from across Croatia. At the protest, they once again demanded that authorities halt the construction of 20 mega-farm and chicken slaughterhouse projects backed by two private investors. Nineteen of these projects are located in Sisačko-moslavačka County and one in Ivanić Grad.
Background of the projects
Two investors, Premium Chicken Company (PCC) and MHP group, are requesting separate permits for what would be a series of interconnected mega-projects. In one of the investors’ own words: a “vertically integrated chicken meat production and processing system”. Why? To avoid a cumulative assessment of the impacts on the environment, human health, infrastructure and the local economy.
According to available data, the plan includes:
Those projects would come at the expense of citizens living in this area. Numerous examples from other countries where this industrial agriculture business model has expanded the industry show devastating impacts for the environment and the health of nearby communities: water and air pollution, toxic smells, and huge amounts of slurry.
A megalomanic shift in production
"These projects are a total shift in concept—the goal is to replace existing production, which relies on local subcontractors and mostly small family farms, with megalomanic industrial facilities which can, without exaggeration, be labelled as 'the industries of death,'" said Dora Sivka, president of Zelena akcija. "Such intensive poultry farming has a devastating impact on soil, air, and water; it causes a permanent loss of forest and agricultural land and increases greenhouse gas emissions. Public consultations have not addressed the questions of local residents but merely served as a formality to fulfil the investors’ wishes. People have rightfully been rebelling for two years. At the moment, more than 150 domestic and international associations support the opposition campaign, and that support is growing because people understand this is about profit for a select few and harm for the rest of us."
Local concerns: infrastructure and the quality of life
Sven Dorotić from Lekenik explained that five locations are planned in his municipality, including a feed factory, an oil mill, a hatchery, and two farms. He noted that only parts of Lekenik have water and sewage systems, and none have wastewater treatment plants. "Rural revitalization is not achieved by bringing in investors who exhaust local resources and ruin the quality of life. We demand a strategic environmental impact assessment that looks at the cumulative effect of all these poultry investments combined," Dorotić urged.
Snježana Sužnjević Vago, representing the initiative "Siščani ne žele biti smetliščani!," (eng: Citizens of Sisak refuse to be a dumpground [a word game in Croatian]) highlighted the authorities' disregard for previous actions. "They didn't hear us in May 2025 during the Sisak protests against the mega-slaughterhouse and biogas plant. They didn't properly read our 820+ objections to the environmental impact study. The project is inconsistent with the spatial planning of the City of Sisak and the County, yet it was pushed through by the environmental assessment commission anyway. Why is a study with no basis in spatial planning documents even being considered?"
In Velika Ludina, where another massive farm and a slaughterhouse are planned, Dubravka Hrvoj emphasized the environmental stakes: "We are already struggling with climate change and the impact of the underground gas storage in Okoli. We are terrified of what will happen if these enormous facilities are built. This is a fight for future generations—for their clean air, land, and water."
Damir Rossini from Sunja warned of hyper-nitration and groundwater pollution, noting that the current plans offer no real solutions for disposing of tens of tons of manure and thousands of cubic meters of wastewater.
Animal welfare, legal action and next steps
Luka Oman of Animal Friends Croatia concluded by describing the horrific conditions of intensive farming, involving chemical additives for rapid growth and ceaseless slaughter lines. He warned that these projects represent a "cataclysm" that would turn a beautiful part of Croatia into a "horror zone."
"The Croatian authorities must clearly defend the people and reject these unnecessary and destructive projects. Our activities do not stop with this protest. We will use all legal means to prevent this, and we invite everyone to a new protest in Sisak on April 25 2026!"
Our collective demands:
We appreciate all the support we received from local, national and European organisations and networks!
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