John Deere ends support of 'social or cultural awareness' events

Farm equipment maker John Deere says it will no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events, making the agricultural machinery manufacturer one of the latest U.S. companies to distance itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash. Deere's move arrives just weeks after rural retailer Tractor Supply ended an array of its corporate diversity and climate efforts. While the companies’ responses differed, both arrive amid a wider backdrop of conservative backlash that has been targeting companies across industries.