> fall of the Soviet Union

The USSR relied heavily on imported grain and fertilizers from the US by the 1970s-80s [0], but the Carter administration placed a sanctions regime on the USSR preventing them from importing inputs for farm as well as grain [1].

Successive bad harvests lead to food shortages by the early 1980s [2][3]. Because of the Afghan War and the weapons buildup race with the US, there just wasn't as much money available for the Soviet administration to help alleviate social pain.

Those shortages (remember the photos of long lines at near empty groceries stores) along with Perestroika meant a lot of pissed off people went to the streets.

[0] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_United_States%E2%80%93S...

[1] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_grain_embargo_...

[2] - https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/15/world/soviet-food-shortag...

[3] - https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-18-mn-8360-s...