Fiona Broom
Sale, VIC
Fiona joined the ABC as a rural reporter in early 2023. Throughout the COVID years she was a science features editor based in the UK, with her podcast team winning an international AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for 2021. Fiona has reported everywhere from Shepparton to India and Lebanon, on food and agriculture, water management, and the environment.
Latest by Fiona Broom
No bomb shelters, no air raid sirens: Families on Lebanon's southern border head north as war looms
By Fiona Broom
War in Lebanon will devastate the country and leave millions hungry, aid agencies warn as the country faces its most serious threat of violence in 20 years.
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Dairy owners say their milk is vanishing from shelves after they refused Coles's profit margin demands
A small Victorian milk company says supermarket giant Coles has removed its products from 65 Victorian stores in retribution for refusing to give the supermarket a bigger profit margin.
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Ultra-fast fashion is so last year in France. Australia is being urged to follow the trend
France has moved to curb sales of mass-produced clothes. Could Australia follow suit?
Egg producers warn shoppers of a potential shortage as bird flu is found on fourth farm
Shoppers may see fewer eggs on shelves as four farms at the centre of bird flu outbreaks in Victoria are placed in quarantine.
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Third Victorian poultry farm declares bird flu outbreak
Farm Pride Foods announces the viral strain detected at its Lethbridge aviary site is "the same strain found on an egg farm at Meredith" around 10 days ago.
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Future of controversial biosecurity bill in doubt as Greens refuse to back 'unfair' levy
The Greens say the $50 million levy amounts to an "unfair" tax on farmers, who have flagged that the move could drive up food prices.
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Australia one step closer to generating electricity from offshore wind farms as projects receive feasibility licences
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen officially unveils the first proponents to receive offshore wind farm feasibility licences.
Bird flu has spread to dairy cows in the US. Here's why the world is watching
Australia is one of the last places on the planet free from high pathogenicity bird flu. But authorities warn there's an increased risk of an outbreak here as scientists say the world is in an animal pandemic.
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Australian lab-grown meat with 'perfect' texture hits the shelves in Singapore
The first product from an Australian cell-cultured meat company has today gone on sale in Singapore, where the Japanese quail cell parfait can be found in high-end restaurants.
Developer looking to merging homes, farming into 'agrihoods' to ease food, housing pressures
Ever wanted to quit the city and run away to start a farm? Welcome to the agrihood, where you can have town living in a rural setting.
What it's like to be a photographer for the world's 'longest and toughest' horserace
Kathy Gabriel says chasing cattle through Victoria's High Country led to her dream job, snapping horseriders racing across the Patagonian wilderness in the Gaucho Derby.
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Uninsured home owners eligible for emergency relief while farm businesses say they 'get nothing'
Hundreds of businesses and farms were hit by a summer of storms, floods, and fires. But community leaders say Victoria's disaster response systems are "a mystery" as recovery funding fails to reach them.
Gippsland community faces six more days without power, phones after killer storm no-one expected
A Mirboo North public meeting hears of a long wait for electricity to be restored after powerful winds felled gum forests, tore through steel sheds, and killed a man.
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Farm under quarantine after cattle deaths attributed to anthrax
A property north-east of Shepparton has been quarantined after anthrax — a disease caused by spore-forming bacteria that naturally occur in soil — was confirmed as the cause of death of several animals.
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Outdoor life comes at a price for farmers as they face a greater risk of skin cancer
Living your best outdoor life could be putting you at risk of the "national cancer", health workers warn. Here's why annual checks should be part of everybody's beauty routine.
Weather-obsessed farmers now have a dedicated agriculture decision support team at BOM
Talking about the weather is a farming pastime, and it's dominating conversations after summer storms hit. A new Bureau of Meteorology team dedicated to agricultural decision-making will give farmers even more to talk about.
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Supply of plums, peaches and nectarines in doubt as storms ravage stone-fruit orchards
Weeks of wild weather in Victoria is likely to mean less stone fruit on supermarket shelves, after hail and heavy rain smashed Australia's main production regions, costing growers millions of dollars in losses.
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Aussie lamb prices expected to rise in coming weeks following spike in saleyard sheep prices
After Australia's two largest supermarket chains were accused of delaying price reductions for lamb despite a plummet in saleyard prices, questions now turn to how long it will take for them to increase prices as the market improves.
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From ancient rituals to self-improvement: How new year's resolutions have changed over 4,000 years
Making a promise to the gods was once seen as the way to secure a happy new year. Now, resolutions revolve around self-improvement, which may make them all the harder to keep.
Early arrival of prawns a Christmas gift for communities that have been through storms, floods and fires
Floods and storms had fishermen biting their nails in October. Now, they are counting their blessings as eastern king prawns make an early appearance.
Quail meat grown from cells 'safe to eat', says food regulator in Australia-first assessment
Quail is a delicacy for many, and restaurants could soon be serving meat grown from quail cells after Australia's food safety regulator judged cell-cultured quail meat safe to eat.
More chicken and veg, less cow to feed — and save — the world, says UN at climate summit
Wealthy countries will need to cut the amount of red meat they eat if they're going to meet climate goals, according to a sustainable food road map launched at the UN climate summit in Dubai.
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Farmers say zero-emissions food still years away as agriculture rises up global climate agenda
As global climate summit COP28 kicks off, food systems will be in the spotlight like never before — both as a casualty of climate change and a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Urban sprawl, council rate hikes and land taxes push cattle saleyard out of suburban Melbourne
The 25-year-old Pakenham saleyards are the closest of their kind to the city and handle up to 100,000 cattle destined for supermarket shelves each year. But they will close in 2024, in a foreboding sign for saleyards in general.
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Europe approves use of controversial weedkiller glyphosate for another decade
The European Commission has approved the use of the controversial herbicide for another decade, with a spokesperson for Australian growers backing the decision as good news for exports.