Farm equipment maker John Deere says it will no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events, becoming the latest major U.S. company to distance itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash.
In a statement posted Tuesday to social media platform X, John Deere also said it would audit all training materials “to ensure the absence of socially-motivated messages” in compliance with federal and local laws. It did not specify what those messages would include.
Moline, Illinois-based John Deere added “the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.” But it noted that it would still continue to “track and advance” the diversity of the company, without providing further details.
The move from the company known on Wall Street as Deere & Co. arrives just weeks after rural retailer Tractor Supply ended an array of its corporate diversity and climate efforts. Both 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.
They’re also about to make massive layoffs (many employees report not knowing whether they’re on the list for next Wednesday (IIRC)), so they apparently aren’t doing well as a going concern. I don’t know whether there’s any connection beyond close timing.
They are doing fine. They are moving the jobs to Mexico. That’s what nafta allows them to do. Biden should declare it a national security issue and tell them they can’t do it.
I’m a lot more surprised they had any of these programs in the first place.
It’s good for their stock. That’s why. It’s part of their esg score. Nothing like virtue signaling.
