Deere Rolls Back Diversity Initiatives After Social Media Backlash

Deere and Tractor Supply have faced online pressure to shelve DEI goals and programs in a campaign fueled by conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has leveraged the companies’ rural customer base to encourage a boycott.

“We’re a powerful force to be reckoned with,” Starbuck said on X, formerly known as Twitter, following the Deere announcement. “I won’t rest until we eliminate leftism from corporate America.”

Other companies beyond those catering to rural America have also moved to downsize DEI programs as the groundswell of support for these policies that began in 2020 starts to fade. Earlier this month, Microsoft laid off its DEI team after pouring millions of dollars into the initiative due to “changing business needs,” Business Insider reported.

The changes raise concerns that more companies will continue to downplay diversity goals or remove programs entirely. Starbuck, for example, is still keeping the pressure on Deere to cut DEI altogether after the manufacturer said in its statement that it will still “track and advance diversity.”

“Another huge win in our war on wokeness BUT I don’t think this is enough for customers to go back,” Starbuck wrote following Deere’s announcement. “Customers want to hear that DEI policies are entirely gone.” (Read more from “Deere Rolls Back Diversity Initiatives After Social Media Backlash” HERE)

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