how did the great leap forward cause famine 
the failure of this program was due to the confluence of several factors efforts to kill off birds increased insect populations that ruined crops the communal farms set up by the great leap forward were beset by inadequate food distribution throughout the country given china s relatively primitive infrastructure at the time at the same time there was an overproduction of grain much of which rotted before being able to be transported in addition there was a bias to feed residents of urban centers rather than to peasants across the countryside leading to higher death rates among rural communities than in cities 7