How did the Cultural Revolution affect farmers and rural communities?

The Cultural Revolution was primarily an urban political phenomenon, meaning its impact on farmers and rural communities was highly uneven. While villages near major cities often experienced significant turmoil, many remote areas faced less interference from bureaucratic authorities than usual.12

However, two specific policies profoundly affected rural life:

• Rural Self-Sufficiency: The state enforced a policy of local foodstuff self-sufficiency, which prioritized grain production. This led to irrational and uneconomical cropping patterns across the countryside.12
• Income Distribution: Pressure was applied to shift income distribution from the smaller "team" unit to the larger "brigade." Furthermore, a growing share of collective income was distributed based on welfare and political criteria rather than the actual amount of work performed by a farmer.12

Additionally, the period saw efforts to improve rural healthcare through the training of "barefoot doctors" and a greater reliance on traditional medicine, as Western medical practices were often too expensive for rural areas. Millions of urban youths were also sent to the countryside to "learn from the poor and lower-middle peasants," a process known as rustication.12