A leading economist recently stated that "food security may be the defining global challenge of the Century." And in underscoring the importance of social protection, the head of an international organization declared that "[w]e must recognize, share, scale up and build on these successful...

Most of the people in low and middle-income countries covered by social protection receive assistance in the form of in-kind food. The origin of such support is rooted in countries' historical pursuit of three interconnected objectives, namely attaining self-sufficiency in food, managing...