this is the area where the conceptual linkages between social protection and food and nutrition security are the strongest the main mechanisms by which social protection programmes improve household access to food are through instruments that focus on protection or prevention objectives through i the direct transfer of food ii smoothing or raising household income and iii improving subsistence farming production across the range of programmes that increase household income or transfer food such as cash transfers in latin america public works programmes pwps such as the productive safety nets programme psnp in ethiopia supplementary feeding fortified school meals and takehome rations freeland cherrier improvements in diet in terms of quality quantity and diversity including greater access to micronutrients can often be seen