Crop insurance costs are rising, fueled by climate change. Yet little has changed in federal...

Federally subsidized crop insurance made record-high payouts last year. While climate change is making farming more risky, the federal program often shields producers at taxpayer expense. Some argue it’s time that the fast-growing program encourages farmers to mitigate their risks.
John Thaemert, who’s well into his 60s, has been farming the high plains near Sylvan Grove, Kansas all his life. The worst drought Thamert’s ever seen destroyed much of his wheat crop this year.

A huge crop failure like this could be a major setback to Thaemert’s third-generation farming operation, but, like most Kansas farmers, he carries federally subsidized crop insurance.

“Thank goodness for crop insurance,” he said while standing in his machine shed. “Crop insurance doesn’t make you money; it keeps you in business to plant again next year. It’s a beautiful thing.”