DEI, climate programs axed at Tractor Supply Co. after customer backlash

Tractor Supply Co., a retailer focused mainly on rural American shoppers, has become one of the highest profile U.S. corporations to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion goals in its corporate policy, bowing to pressure from customers whom the company said felt that “we have disappointed them.”

“We work hard to live up to our mission and values every day and represent the values of the communities and customers we serve,” Tractor Supply TSCO said in a statement on its website. “We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them. We have taken this feedback to heart.”

The Brentwood, Tenn.-based company said that going forward it would make sure its activities and giving tie directly to its business. Among the measures it put in place:

1. The company will no longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign. The organization produces a highly cited Corporate Equality Index that tracks company performance on a number of ESG and DEI criteria, particularly LGBTQ+-friendly policies.
2. It will refocus its 50,000 employees across 2,250 stores, its “team member engagement groups,” on mentoring, networking and supporting the business.
3. Tractor Supply will direct more corporate focus toward what it said were rural American priorities including agricultural education, animal welfare, veteran causes and being a good neighbor. It will stop sponsoring nonbusiness activities like pride festivals and voting campaigns.
4. It will eliminate DEI roles and retire its current DEI goals “while still ensuring a respectful environment.”
5. And the company will withdraw its carbon emission goals and focus on land and water conservation efforts.

“Rural communities are the backbone of our nation and what make America great. We are honored to be a part of them,” the statement said. “We are passionate about being good neighbors in our hometowns because without you, we would not be what we are. It is imperative to us that our customers’ hard-earned dollars are taking care of our team members and the communities we all love.”

The company said  it has invested millions of dollars in the future of rural America, veteran causes, emergency response, animal shelters, state fairs, rodeos and farmers markets. It said Tractor Supply is one of the largest supporter of FFA (the new designation of the Future Farmers of America) and has longstanding relationships with 4-H and other educational organizations.

According to CNN, the about-face comes less than a month after right-wing commentator Robby Starbuck attacked the company’s LGBTQ-inclusive stance and DEI hiring initiatives in a series of posts on X. Starbuck, who in 2022 launched a failed bid for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, called on customers to boycott Tractor Supply and contact its corporate leadership.

Conservative groups celebrated the decision in a rash of social media posts. For instance, Zero Hedge, a right-leaning financial blog and news aggregator site, shared an article with its 1.8 million X followers, writing in the post, “Tractor Supply Nukes DEI To Prevent Itself From Being ‘Bud Light’d’ By Conservatives.”

Read more: 10 global companies leading their sectors on climate change and carbon transition