Revenue risk-reduction impacts of crop insurance in a multicrop framework

Abstract

The authors develop a multicrop insurance model to evaluate crop insurance decisions when several crops are produced. The results suggest that the diversification effects derived from producing multiple crops can substantially alter the risk-reduction impacts of crop insurance versus if the decision is viewed from the perspective of a single crop. Further, the relatedness of crop production and price responses among crops differs considerably across insurance products and strategies. As a result, insurance strategies that might provide the maximum risk reduction for an individual crop do not necessarily carry over to the multicrop case. © The Author(s) 2010. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. All rights reserved.