Lika agricultural producers face distrust due to illegal waste disposal

Darko Vuletić, representing the HSS party, has launched a campaign titled ‘Lika nije smeće, Lika je hrana’ (Lika is not trash, Lika is food) to protect agricultural producers in the Lika region of Croatia.

The initiative aims to combat growing consumer distrust in local food products caused by the illegal disposal of hazardous waste in Gospić. While the waste issue is localized, producers across the Lika region report that retailers are seeing a decline in sales as customers avoid products from the area.

Official analyses from the State Inspectorate have not found the food to be health-hazardous. Sampling from nine agricultural holdings showed that products were compliant regarding heavy metals and PFAS. Despite these findings, Vuletić emphasized the need to protect the reputation of regional brands, such as the Lika potato, which has held a European protected designation of origin since 2015. The HSS is calling for expanded food sampling and government intervention to restore market confidence.