In a world where three quarters of poor and chronically undernourished people reside in rural areas, this publication demonstrates how social protection can strengthen food security, nutrition, agricultural development, rural livelihoods and resilience. It sets out FAO's cross-cutting principles of social inclusion, gender equality and sustainability, providing concrete guidance on how to translate these principles into effective interventions. Although many of the rural poor are not covered by adequate social protection and are particularly vulnerable to risks, they play a critical role in ensuring global food security in the long term, and in sustainably managing the natural resource base in the most fragile ecosystems. Ensuring their access to social protection is not only a social imperative, but it is critical to ensure their participation as partners in development and economic growth.