“The rice we import is not guaranteed and does not offer the same assurances as Italian rice,” said MEP Mariateresa Vivaldini (FdI), on the sidelines of the event “Italian rice and the European challenge: quality beyond trends” at the European Parliament in Brussels. The meeting brought together representatives from the agricultural, institutional and scientific sectors to discuss the protection of rice farmers, checks on imports, the promotion of Italian rice in public facilities, and reciprocity in trade rules.