Tracing it back, this is a problem with vanguardism and the cults of personality that the strategy cultivates. Government should not be structured in such a way that the pseudoscientific beliefs of a central authority figure can cause a nation-wide famine. Some other comments on this post which insist on blaming it on specific policies and not the political structure that enabled those policies to be implemented are just self-interestedly defending their marxist-leninist worldview from anarchist critique.
Much of the blame has to go to Stalin and his fav scientist Trofim Lysenko.
And I highly recommend to listen Behind The Bastards episodes about Stalin. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=svw8DQpGjX0
Tracing it back, this is a problem with vanguardism and the cults of personality that the strategy cultivates. Government should not be structured in such a way that the pseudoscientific beliefs of a central authority figure can cause a nation-wide famine. Some other comments on this post which insist on blaming it on specific policies and not the political structure that enabled those policies to be implemented are just self-interestedly defending their marxist-leninist worldview from anarchist critique.