With cards spelling out “Costco Pollutes” and “Boycott Costco,” opponents of a chicken processing plant in Fremont and four recently-approved, confined animal feeding chicken operations (CAFO) in Washington County, hoped those driving into the parking lot of the Costco Store on Dodge Street in Omaha would think twice about entering the store Saturday.

Organized by Organic Consumers Association, the protest, which included people from Nebraska Communities United, Neighbors United (of Washington County) and the Nebraska Sierra Club, the group demanded officials from Costco meet certain standards and they were prepared to present a community standards agreement to Costco officials.

“We asked for permission to go and present the 15 CBA practices and we were denied the ability and opportunity to present to them, so we are calling for a boycott,” Gus VonRoenn of Omaha said.

The community standards agreement drawn up by the group included requirements that the company make certain improvements to its food production model in the areas of environmental pollution, disease outbreak mitigation, poultry growing contracts and workers’ rights.