"The Danube area imports a lot of protein and soya is important for food and feed. The declaration is a commitment to shared development...and the avoidance of imports of soya from the southern hemisphere, where most of the soy is genetically modified," Agriculture and Environment Minister Franc Bogovič said.

He noted that Slovenia was not exactly "soya country", but it can still do a lot in the development of know-how and acquisition of experience, to eventually start growing soy.

The Danube Soya Declaration is an initiative started by Austria in a bid to expand soy production in the region and reduce the dependence on soya produced overseas.

In the afternoon Bogovič will attend a meeting of farm ministers, which he said was "an opportunity to discuss the challenges in agriculture".