The applicability of insurance in any given situation is based on consideration of whether it is a cost-effective means of addressing a given risk. The paper highlights that agricultural insurance is nevertheless a growing business driven by increasing commercialization of agriculture, international trade, and foreign direct investment, and the development of new insurance products. The purpose of this book is to provide an introductory overview of crop and forestry insurance. In doing so it opens by defining the boundaries for these types of insurance products. The setting of boundaries is very deliberate. It is intended to assist those interested in exploring and exploiting this financial mechanism to do so in a realistic and satisfactory manner. Secondly, this booklet sets out how to proceed with planning for crop insurance, within the established boundaries.