# Croatia poultry megafarm environmental protests

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/croatia-poultry-megafarm-environmental-protests
> Updated: 2026-09-18T08:41:14.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 3.

Environmental protests have emerged in Croatia regarding the development of large-scale poultry industrial sites. In Veliki Pažut, a poultry megafarm has begun trial operations despite opposition from residents and the Animal Friends Association. Critics have raised concerns regarding the facility’s proximity to protected areas, including the Mura-Drava Regional Park and UNESCO-protected zones, noting reports of unpleasant odors and risks to animal welfare due to overcrowding.

Simultaneously, citizens in Apatija are organizing against a proposed complex of 10 poultry houses in the Apatija Entrepreneurial Zone. This facility is expected to house 558,210 birds per cycle, resulting in over three million chickens annually—nearly 10 percent of Croatia’s total production. Local residents fear the site, located approximately 400 meters from residential homes and the Bednja River, will produce excessive manure, wastewater, and harmful gases.

In Ludbreg, the organizations Zelena akcija and Prijatelji životinja have opened a traveling exhibition titled ‘The Real Price of Mega-farms’ to highlight the cumulative impact of industrial farming. On September 19, 2026, the Građanska inicijativa Apatija scheduled a large-scale protest in Ludbreg to oppose the Apatija project and the broader expansion of industrial poultry sites. Activists warn that two foreign investors plan more than 20 such megafarms and slaughterhouses across the country, with a combined capacity exceeding 200 million chickens per year. Protesters argue these projects are assessed individually without considering their cumulative impact on water resources, soil, traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste management, warning that Croatia must not become a ‘dumping ground for European industrial waste’면.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-18: Ludbreg to host protest against poultry megafarms in Croatia

Protesters in Ludbreg, Croatia, are organizing against the construction of a massive poultry megafarm in Apatija and the rise of industrial farming across the nation.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ludbreg-to-host-protest-against-poultry-megafarms-in-croatia

### 2026-09-16: Croatia protests planned poultry mega-farm in Apatija

Croatian activists and residents are protesting the planned construction of a 3.5 million-chicken mega-farm in Apatija, citing severe risks to local water, air, and soil quality.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/croatia-protests-erupt-over-planned-poultry-megafarm-in-apatija

### 2026-09-11: Veliki Pažut poultry megafarm begins trial operations amid protests

A poultry megafarm in Veliki Pažut, Croatia, has begun trial operations, sparking environmental concerns due to its proximity to UNESCO-protected areas and Natura 2000 sites.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/veliki-paut-poultry-megafarm-begins-trial-operations-amid-protests

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Cite as: Croatia poultry megafarm environmental protests. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/croatia-poultry-megafarm-environmental-protests