The 1980 grain embargo describes the policy enacted by the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 that banned the export of grain and technology to the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 in response to the invasion of Afghanistan

Soviet war in Afghanistan

The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...

 in 1979. Initiated by the Carter administration in January 1980, the embargo was lifted by Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

 in April 1981. Tangible effects of the embargo were negligible, with the Soviet Union simply acquiring grain from alternative sources in South America and Europe. Commodity prices dropped following the embargo, contributing to a severe farm crisis

Farm crisis

A Farm Crisis is a term describing times of agricultural recession, low crop prices and low farm incomes that can lead to farm bankruptcy, family break-ups, and increased rate of farmer suicides. In the US, most recently this was during the 1980s...

.