The polycrisis of the climate emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have reversed many countries’ gains in tackling food insecurity and malnutrition. In Brazil and India, access to a healthy diet made significant progress between the 2000s and the 2010s, with various social protection programmes central to achieving this. During the recent crises, both countries used social protection measures to maintain food security. The achievements of and challenges faced by both countries offer valuable lessons for other G20 countries. Key recommendations arising from these lessons include strengthening existing programmes and their foundation through legislation, unified registries, and minimum budget allocations, as well as tackling both food demand and supply.