This is part one of a five-part, weekly series for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation's Month of Giving.

This was the latest weather event to challenge assumptions about how to prepare for storms and other natural disasters.

Separate from crop insurance, agribusiness coverage is increasingly in demand to protect other food-chain assets.

As the number of claims filed reaches critical mass for a shrinking claims-handling workforce, insurers are turning to technology to streamline processes and optimize the entire claims management cycle.