China's Agricultural Crisis and Famine of 1959-1961: A Survey and Comparison to Soviet Famines

China's Great Leap Forward (GLF) of 1958–1961 ended as a catastrophe as widespread famine claimed millions of human lives. This paper reviews the literature on this historical crisis. The collapse of grain production was primarily attributable to failures in central planning that diverted agric...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comparative economic studies 2008-03, Vol.50 (1), p.1-29
Main Author: Yang, Dennis Tao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural history
Agricultural industry
Agricultural production
Agriculture
Analysis
Causes of
Census of Population
Central planning
China
Comparative analysis
Comparative history
Econometrics
Economic conditions
Economic policy
Economic reform
Economics
Economics and Finance
Estimates
Failure
Famine
Famines
Fertility
Food
Food supply
Grain
History
I30
Influence
International Economics
Malnutrition
Mortality
O53
P21
Planned economy
Planning
Political Economy/Economic Systems
Q11
Studies
Survey Article
U.S.S.R
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Summary:China's Great Leap Forward (GLF) of 1958–1961 ended as a catastrophe as widespread famine claimed millions of human lives. This paper reviews the literature on this historical crisis. The collapse of grain production was primarily attributable to failures in central planning that diverted agricultural resources to industry and to malnutrition among peasants, which lowered their productivity. The resulting decline in grain availability and the urban bias in China's food distribution system were the main causes of the famine. This paper also compares China's experience with the Soviet famines of 1931–1933 and 1947.
ISSN:0888-7233
1478-3320
DOI:10.1057/ces.2008.4