Shoppers are seen in the parking lot of a Tractor Supply Co. store near Bloomsburg.
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Supply of tractors, a retail chain that sells home improvement equipment, livestock and agricultural supplies to farmers and pet owners, is eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion roles; withdraw carbon emissions targets; and withdraw support for the LGBTQ community as part of sweeping changes to environmental, social and governance initiatives, the company announced this week.
The retailer said in a statement Thursday that it will no longer send data to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group. The company will also stop sponsoring Pride festivals and voting drives, according to the statement. The company previously earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Best Places to Work Corporate Equality Index.
The announcement comes in the final days of Pride Month.
Tractor Supply is also withdrawing initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact and improving employee diversity. The company had set goals to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in its operations by 2040 and reduce its water use by 2025. Its DEI goals included increasing the number of employees of color at the management and senior level by 50% by 2026 .
Tractor Supply said it is making the changes to better represent the values of the communities and customers it serves. The retailer primarily serves rural communities, with 50,000 employees at 2,250 stores in 49 states, according to company data.
“Rural communities are the backbone of our nation and what makes America great,” Tractor Supply said in the news release. “We've heard from customers that we've let them down. We've taken this feedback very seriously.”
Tractor Supply said it has invested millions of dollars in veterans' causes, state fairs, animal shelters, rodeos and farmers markets and is investing in the future of rural America by being the largest supporter of FFA, a nonprofit organization. nonprofit that promotes agricultural education for middle and high school students. High school students.
The retailer was previously included on Newsweek's list of America's Best Places to Work for Diversity in 2023 and was included in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index for 2022 and 2023.
The publicly traded company has a market valuation of about $29 billion. CNBC reached out to Tractor Supply for more details on the changes and the company declined to comment beyond the statement.
The changes come amid a rising tide of anti-DEI sentiment in the wake of a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down affirmative action at universities. Pundits at the time predicted the decision could have implications for corporate hiring or recruiting.
Companies, including starbucks, Disney and Aimhave faced legal challenges over DEI initiatives for LGBTQ customers and employees. In February 2023, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer removed race-based eligibility requirements for a scholarship program designed for college students of black, Latino and Native American descent, the Associated Press reported.
