A major farm supply retailer said it will eliminate DEI roles, end its carbon emissions goals and cut ties to an LGBTQ advocacy group following a social media campaign calling for the firm to revoke its “woke” policies.
Tennessee-based Tractor Supply — an 85-year-old company with 2,250 stores — made the decision after conservative commentator Robby Starbuck called for a boycott over the past three weeks on X.
“We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them,” Tractor Supply said in a statement on Thursday. “We have taken this feedback to heart.”
The retail chain — which sells home improvement equipment, livestock, and agricultural supplies for farmers and pet owners — said it will stop sponsoring Pride festivals and cut ties to LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
It will also “eliminate DEI roles and retire our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment,” the company said.
Instead, Tractor Supply will beef up its support for veteran causes, emergency response agencies, animal shelters, state fairs, rodeos and farmers’ markets, the company said.
Starbuck claimed a victory on X, saying in an eight-minute long video, “We have extracted the largest concessions in the history of boycotts.”
He applauded Tractor Supply for ending its submission of data to the Human Rights Campaign, which Starbuck said “has nothing to do with human rights; it has everything to do with injecting wokeness and the LGBTQ agenda into corporate America.”
Human Rights Campaign said it has worked with Tractor Supply for years to create inclusive policies and slammed the company for pandering to “far right extremists.”
“Tractor Supply Co is turning its back on their own neighbors with this shortsighted decision. LGBTQ+ people live in every Zip code in this country, including rural communities,” Eric Bloem, vice president of corporate advocacy, told the Post. “We are shoppers, farmers, veterans and agriculture students.”
Tractor Supply also said it will eliminate its carbon emissions goals and instead focus on land and water conservation efforts.
The company previously aimed to achieve net zero emissions in operations by 2040, increase people of color at the management level and increase business with diverse suppliers, according to earlier coverage by the Wall Street Journal.
“We will continue to listen to our customers and Team Members,” Tractor Supply said in a statement. “Your trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance, and we don’t take that lightly.”
The policy pivot is one of the strongest corporate reversals of progressive initiatives yet, but it is not the first time customers have used their buying power in recent years to sway company stakes.
Bud Light sales tanked after the beer company launched an ad with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year.
Target lost $10 billion in market valuation in a 10-day period last year when customers boycotted the company after it launched its Pride collection, which included clothing for children.
A Target shareholder filed a lawsuit last year against the company after their shares lost $20,000 during the Pride collection controversy.
Credit: Source link
