John Deere Scales Back DEI Efforts Following Conservative Criticism

Farm equipment giant John Deere announced this week that it will be pulling back on some diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. The move follows criticism from conservatives.

“We will no longer participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events,” the company said in a statement posted Tuesday to the social media platform X. 

Moline, Illinois-based John Deere, which announced layoffs earlier this month, also said it would be “auditing all company-mandated training materials and policies to ensure the absence of socially motivated messages” in compliance with federal and local laws as well as “reaffirming within the business that the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.”

The company noted that it would still continue to “track and advance” the diversity of the company.

Our customers’ trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance to everyone at John Deere. We fully intend to earn it every day and in every way we can. pic.twitter.com/8BgyPyQJQo

— John Deere (@JohnDeere) July 16, 2024

The move comes after retailer Tractor Supply ended a number of its corporate diversity and climate efforts, according to the Associated Press, which noted that both the John Deere and Tractor Supply announcements “came after backlash piled up online from conservative activists opposed to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, sponsorship of LGBTQ+ Pride events and climate advocacy.”

Robby Starbuck, a conservative political commentator and filmmaker, seemed to spearhead the critique of both companies on X, AP noted.

Deere’s changes “reflect the increasing pressure faced by companies to scale back or do away with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from both external critics and U.S. courts as a wave of legal action challenges policies at scores of companies, including giants such as Starbucks, Meta and Pfizer,” according to the Washington Post.

Eric Bloem, vice president of programs and corporate advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, speaking to AP, called John Deere’s announcement “disappointing” and “a direct result of a coordinated attack by far-right extremists on American business.”

On Wednesday, John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, petitioned for a company boycott as well as the resignation of John C. May, John Deere’s CEO.