Deere dials back DEI presence, cuts ‘socially motivated messages’

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.

It’s also another high-profile instance of corporate stances on social issues creating tension with customers. Deere and Tractor Supply’s changes come barely a year after a boycott of Bud Light over its partnership with transgender influencer and actress Dylan Mulvaney. Target also dealt with a boycott and in-store confrontations over Pride Month merchandise last year, prompting the company to pull back its collection from storefronts and remove some merchandise altogether.

Deere & Co. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company didn’t disavow DEI entirely: In its statement Tuesday, Deere said it would “continue to track and advance the diversity of our organization” because doing so helps meet customer needs. Its website still touts “our inclusive culture.”

Deere’s changes come after public pressure from Robby Starbuck, the conservative podcast host who orchestrated a boycott of Tractor Supply over its diversity policies late last month.

Tractor Supply responded by cutting diversity roles and vowing to stop submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and to stop sponsoring Pride festivals and voting initiatives. Its move was met with celebration from conservative activists and consternation from others, including a New York animal sanctuary, LGBTQ+ organizations and an association that aims to support Black farmers.

Earlier in July, Starbuck posted a video criticizing a slate of DEI initiatives at Deere, including its creation of “LGBTQ and race based” employee-resource groups, as well as employee training featuring anti-racist teachings from writers such as Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi. After Deere’s announcement, he posted on X that the changes hadn’t gone far enough, and that he would continue to speak out against corporate DEI efforts.

“DEI is poison and we won’t rest until the public knows how companies have strayed from American values,” Starbuck wrote.

Starbuck did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.

DEI encompasses a wide range of practices that advocates describe as ways to diversify companies, schools and organizations and ensure equal access to opportunity. It includes efforts such as recruiting and mentorship programs geared toward underrepresented groups, anti-bias training, and employee resource groups.

Critics of DEI programs say preferences based on race and gender are themselves discriminatory. Dozens of lawsuits challenging DEI policies in schools, government and corporations are percolating through courts across the country, and Republican-led state legislatures are considering scores of anti-DEI bills.

As clouds have gathered around DEI, some high-profile companies are making changes. In recent weeks, Microsoft eliminated a DEI team because of “changing business needs,” according to reporting from Business Insider. Other giants such as Tesla, X, Meta and Zoom have gotten rid of DEI roles as the climate around the work has shifted.

“True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020,” a leader of the Microsoft team wrote in an email sent to thousands of employees, Business Insider reported.