Turning grain into a national commodity for global trade and to finance the revolution led to a man-made famine in China. People were forced to provide false reports to meet quotas, resulting in the Chinese government requisitioning more grain than available. This led to mass starvation mostly among farmers, with an estimation of at least 15 million dying in three years due to the famine. Some reports suggest a total population loss of 75 million including deaths and births that didn't occur.