What is in this article?:
- Crop insurance and the future farm safety net
- The ascendency of crop insurance
- Current Program Characteristics
- Possible Future Roles for Crop Insurance
- What next?

A strong view has emerged this past year from many farm groups that crop insurance should play a pivotal role in the 2012 Farm Bill and beyond. Meanwhile, some have questioned the near-consensus support for crop insurance. This article addresses why crop insurance has taken on a primary position among farm support programs and examines alternative paths that crop insurance could take in the future, including some ways it could assume an even larger role.
