This preliminary briefing note summarises some of the key trends and insights from the 2015 Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa, the full report for which will be published in early 2016.

The recent path of Tropical Storm Isaac in September 2012 caused the destruction of plantain fields in the South Region. This situation forced the national authorities to provide in-kind assistance (i.e. planting materials, fertilizers, cleaning labor, land preparation) to the most affected farmers. Although some private insurers provide agriculture insurance, the Ministry of Agriculture does not have a pre-defined budget to tackle the negative effects caused by events in the agricultural sector while it faces significant contingent liabilities in this sector.

Cattle production is a key economic sector in Uruguay, contributing nearly 50% of the value of exports. However beef cattle production is heavily exposed to the effects of weather events. On several occasions, droughts have resulted in livestock loss and reduction in productivity and fertility of surviving cows.

This manual introduces and discusses agricultural insurance and provides tools for the development, management, operation, and maintenance of such programs. Agricultural insurance includes a variety of product types, including property, causality, life, and health insurance. Throughout the manual, the term “agricultural insurance” refers to crop and in some cases livestock insurance programs.

In November 2013, typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) devastated the Philippines. Find out how $12 million of paid microinsurance claims helped people recover, with insights from our forthcoming study.