{"id":86295,"date":"2026-10-08T13:15:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T11:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=86295"},"modified":"2026-10-08T13:15:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T11:15:36","slug":"the-drava-flows-through-my-veins-we-are-fighting-to-save-the-amazon-of-europe-from-factory-farms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/86295\/the-drava-flows-through-my-veins-we-are-fighting-to-save-the-amazon-of-europe-from-factory-farms\/","title":{"rendered":"The Drava flows through my veins: we are fighting to save the Amazon of Europe from factory farms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The human body is roughly 71% water. If you look at my arm, you will see a tattoo of the Drava River. A map from the 19th-century, when it was still an interconnected network of channels weaving across the whole region. The tattoo wraps around my arm at a point marking 71% of the way up my body. For me, it is a reminder that water is the foundation of all human life, and a symbol of my deep, unbreakable connection to this river.<\/p>\n\n

I am an artist based in Northern Croatia, next to the Drava river. I grew up here and became an eco-artist, exploring creativity and sustainability, emerging from the deep connection I have to nature here. But unfortunately, this unique ecological paradise could soon be transformed into an industrial zone, as vast  factory farms have started popping up across the region.<\/p>\n\n

\"A
Kristina on the river bank of Drava
\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The \u201cAmazon of Europe\u201d is under threat from Big Ag<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

For me “The Amazon of Europe\u201d <\/em>is not just a catchy slogan. This stretch of the Drava River is part of a cross-border UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, spanning multiple countries. It is a truly extraordinary, vibrant, and biologically diverse ecosystem. At the point where the Drava meets the Mura River, it forms a unique landscape: a mosaic of lush marshes, gravel banks, and wetland habitats with abundant flora and fauna. As an ornithological reserve, it acts as a vital stopover for migratory birds, with a vivid aerial life every spring and autumn. It is home to iconic species like the majestic white-tailed eagle, the black stork and terns.    <\/p>\n\n

The Drava has been part of my daily life for as long as I can remember. Growing up here, the river was the anchor of our existence. In summer, we cooled off in its waters, relaxed on its banks, paddled, and kayaked. Many locals fish here, putting food from the river directly onto their family tables.<\/p>\n\n

As an artist, I am fascinated by our local tradition of naive art<\/a>, a 20th century movement associated primarily with self-taught artists who broadened access to artistic expression beyond academic and institutional circles. In many of these artworks, the river and its surrounding wildlife appear as recurring and central motifs representing its centrality to the lives of local people. The river is not merely part of our cultural identity; it has shaped the history, livelihoods and social fabric of our communities – from milling and gold panning to fishing, transport and other river-based activities.<\/p>\n\n

\"A
Kristina finding a small snake under the roots of a tree at the Drava river bank.
\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

A monster on the riverbank: 1.8 million chickens and massive pollution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

It is horrifying to realize what is being planned for our home. A few hundred meters from the banks of this pristine river, a colossal industrial chicken farm is under construction.<\/p>\n\n

The environmental impact assessment states that an astonishing 1.8 million chickens will pass through this factory farm every year on their way to slaughter, generating more than a million liters of wastewater annually. These numbers are staggering. A facility of this scale has no place anywhere, let alone right next to a protected biosphere reserve. Yet, shockingly, this site is not next to just one reserve; seven protected areas exist within 2km of the farm. If a facility of this size can be built so close to so many vital reserves, then the term \u2018protected area\u2019 is meaningless.<\/p>\n\n

For those of us who live here, the river and its ecosystem are woven into our daily lives. Building a giant factory farm so close to the riverbank threatens to sever that bond forever, replacing clean water and thriving habitats with industrial waste.<\/p>\n\n

Ordinary people organising resistance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

When we first discovered these plans, a few of us in the community started asking questions and gathering information. Step by step, those initial inquiries turned into organized resistance.<\/p>\n\n

Together, we formed Gra\u0111anska Inicijativa Legrad – Donja Dubrava.<\/em> We are just a small group of ordinary citizens from different backgrounds, united by our love for the Drava River to protect our land. Some organise events<\/a>, others research data, consult with lawyers, liaise with local authorities, or deliver public speeches.<\/p>\n\n

None of us expected to find ourselves in the middle of a high-stakes campaign like this. We didn’t seek out conflict or public attention. Most of us feel uncomfortable speaking in public. But we could not sit back and watch them destroy the place we love. We stepped into the spotlight because we know that if we don’t stand up for our home now, tomorrow will be too late.<\/p>\n\n

That is why we have been organising protests, festivals, and events. And a few months ago, we organised a flashmob beside the confluence of the Mura and Drava Rivers, a natural classroom for understanding river dynamics. We formed a giant SOS sign there.  Because our river is in danger, and we need your help.<\/p>\n\n

\"Aerial
SOS sign and kayaks on the confluence of Drava and Mura rivers.
\u00a9 Gra\u0111anska Inicijativa Legrad – Donja Dubrava<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Factory farms are parachuting corporate power onto rural communities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Our story in Legrad – Donja Dubrava is not an isolated case. Across Croatia, dozens of rural communities are facing the same threat.<\/p>\n\n

In the nearby village of Apatija, another giant factory farm is being planned, and forced onto local residents. Around 160 km south near the city of Sisak, plans for a colossal mega-project aiming to produce around 100 million chickens a year (four times Croatia\u2019s annual production) were met with fierce local resistance, successfully halting parts of the development. It proves that when communities unite, people power works, and we will not rest until these projects are stopped for good. <\/p>\n\n

The pattern is glaringly obvious: wealthy corporations and billionaire executives parachute massive, polluting projects onto rural communities, expecting us to quietly suffer the consequences while they extract profit.<\/p>\n\n

This is not just a series of isolated local conflicts; it is a systemic problem that is happening all over the world and it demands systemic solutions. That starts by pushing decision-makers to stop any new industrial livestock expansion from happening.<\/p>\n\n

\"A
Locals participating in the kayaktivism on the Drava river.
\u00a9 Gra\u0111anska Inicijativa Legrad – Donja Dubrava<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Standing up for the future of our waters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

We are not lawyers, scientific experts, or professional activists. We are simply local people who have been let down by the system and forced to make a stand. It is time for our representatives to step up and defend our interests over corporate profits.<\/p>\n\n

We want the confluence of Mura and Drava to remain as it is today: clean, wild, and filled with life. Where future generations  find joy and peace in its waters. For local artists to keep painting its landscapes and our children to grow up swimming in the river after school and playing on its shores, living in harmony with the ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n

That is why we fight, and that is why we will not back down. Please stand in solidarity with us: help us save the Drava!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tStop Big Meat and Dairy\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

It\u2019s time to cut through corporate lies, cut agriculture emissions and shift towards sustainable agroecology.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t \n Sign now!\n <\/a>\n \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\n

Kristina Pongrac is an artist and local environmental defender from the Drava region in Croatia. As a member of Gra\u0111anska Inicijativa Legrad – Donja Dubrava, her work explores the intersection of nature protection, folk art, and grassroots community resistance.<\/em> Learn more about Kristina\u2019s work <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Chicken King wants to build another industrial megafarm next to Croatia’s largest drinking water source. Residents are organising against forced industrial farms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":164,"featured_media":86297,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_seo_meta_title":"","p4_seo_meta_description":"","p4_campaign_name":"Big Ag","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"Forests","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[84,86],"p4-page-type":[59],"class_list":["post-86295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","tag-forests","tag-food","p4-page-type-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/164"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86295"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86304,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86295\/revisions\/86304"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86295"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=86295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}