Social protection has risen rapidly up the development policy agenda in the last decade. There is also a clear trend to making social protection, as well as food security, ‘rights-based’ rather than ‘discretionary’. Yet no clear consensus has so far emerged concerning many basic design choices and implementation modalities of social protection policies and programs. This is why, in 2010, the CFS requested the HLPE to work on Social Protection and more specifically, on ways to lessen vulnerability through social and productive safety net programs and policies with respect to food and nutritional security, taking into consideration differing conditions across countries and regions. CFS further suggested that the study should include a review of the impact of existing policies for the improvement of living conditions and resilience of vulnerable populations, especially small scale rural producers, urban and rural poor as well as women and children. The CFS also requested the HLPE to report on the impact and benefits of social protection measures on improving local production and livelihoods and promoting better nutrition. The present report contains the analysis and recommendations of the High Level Panel of Experts, as approved by its Steering Committee at its meeting 6-8th June 2012 held in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is now being presented to the CFS. The HLPE operates with very specific rules, agreed by the CFS, which ensure the scientific legitimacy and credibility of the process, as well as its transparency and openness to all forms of knowledge. The Steering Committee of the HLPE attaches great importance to sound methodology and follows a rigorous procedure. This Report emphasizes that in order to ensure food security for all and forever, both intra-generational and inter-generational social protection measures should receive attention. Inter-generational social protection measures will help to end maternal and foetal malnutrition leading to infants having low birth weight, which places them under severe handicaps in later life, including impaired cognitive ability, obesity and diabetes.