Tractor manufacturer John Deere has announced it will halt its sponsorship of Pride events while scrapping a portion of its so-called diversity, equity and inclusive policies following backlash from conservatives.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 16, John Deere announced that it would commit to a number of pledges “based on ongoing conversations.”
“We will no longer participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events,” announced the company on social media.
In addition, the company pledged to focus Business Resource Groups on “professional development, networking, mentoring and supporting talent recruitment efforts”, while training materials will be audited to ensure they are devoid of “socially motivated messages”. Finally, John Deere reaffirmed “within the business that the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy”.
The statement came amid a conservative campaign led by Robby Starbuck, whose recent exposé on the DEI policies of Tractor Supply forced the company into removing its diversity agenda.
Starbuck claimed the John Deere announcement as a “huge win in our war on wokeness” but expressed doubt over the statement’s “fundamental” belief that “a diverse workforce enables us to best meet our customers’ needs”.
Responding directly to John Deere’s announcement, Starbuck and many others questioned whether the change in policy could have gone further.
Other users demanded the company maintains its U.S.-based manufacturing plants over relocation to Mexico.
What’s your view? Does John Deere’s DEI revocation go far enough? Let us know in the comments.
