While farmers and others are likely familiar with federal crop insurance, many are not as familiar with the arbitration requirement that appears under the Common Crop Insurance Policy or the arbitration process.   Crop insurance has long been an important component of risk management in agriculture, but has taken on new significance due to the 2012 drought and emphasis in the ongoing 2012 Farm Bill debate.  Consequently, crop insurance is playing a significant role in the lives of producers and others in the nation’s agricultural community and it is important that those affected have an understanding of key aspects of federal crop insurance.

A recently published article, What is Arbitration, When is it Required, and How Does it Work? explains arbitration and its operation within the federal crop insurance program. Areas discussed in the article include arbitration as a form of dispute resolution, when arbitration is required in the context of a crop insurance dispute, whether an arbitration award can be appealed, and state law actions against an insurance provider.

The article is written by Grant Ballard, Center Research Consultant and associate with the Banks Law Firm, PLLC.  Mr. Ballard earned a J.D. and an LL.M. in Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law and works in the areas of federal crop insurance litigation, farm programs, and other agricultural-related legal areas.  He has authored several articles regarding federal crop insurance, including Prevented Planting Crop Insurance: Overview, Drought, and Excessive Moisture, The Federal Crop Insurance Program: Administration, Structure, and Operation, and Filing a Crop Insurance Claim: An Overview for Producers.  His law review article Practitioner’s Guide to the Litigation of Federally Reinsured Crop Insurance Claims will be published in the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law in the Fall of 2012.