Collectivization was a policy implemented primarily in the Soviet Union during the late 1920s and 1930s. It aimed to consolidate individual peasant farms into large, state-controlled collective farms, known as kolkhozes. The goal was to increase agricultural productivity and ensure that food production met the needs of the growing urban population. This process often involved the forced removal of wealthier peasants, called kulaks, who resisted joining the collectives. Collectivization led to significant social and economic upheaval, resulting in widespread famine, particularly in Ukraine, where millions suffered from the Holodomor, a devastating famine caused by these policies.