The risk of land-based food insecurity is one of the eight key climate risks identified by the IPCC. Moderate or severe food insecurity affects one quarter of the global population and has been rising in recent years. Over half of the population in Africa, almost one third in Latin America and the Caribbean and more than one-fifth in Asia are food-insecure. The need for wide-spread transformation of agricultural systems is clear, and Nature based Solutions (NbS) can play a key role in a sustainable future of food. NbS are increasingly viewed as a way to reconcile economic development with the stewardship of ecosystem in the Global South. Many NbS projects and initiatives constitute a means to diversify and transform livelihoods and enhance rural resilience, the ability of rural dwellers to preserve welfare in the face of (climate) shock. However, the solutions tend to be poorly connected and fail to provide a cohesive approach towards mainstreaming NbS into planning, financing and implementation. Mainstreaming NbS can provide cost-effective adaptation alternatives to traditional ‘grey’ solutions for resilient rural infrastructure with environmental, social and economic co-benefits. The comprehensive analysis provided by this paper regarding NbS for feeder roads and water stress, where economic as well as ecological and social needs are considered, builds the evidence base to catalyze adaptation action.