Shoppers in the parking lot of a Tractor Supply Company store near Bloomsburg.
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tractor supply, A retail chain that sells home improvement equipment, livestock and farming supplies to farmers and pet owners is eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion roles; withdrawing carbon emissions targets; sweeping changes as environmental, social and governance measures announced this week part of the effort to withdraw support from the LGBTQ community.
Retailer said in a press release on Thursday It will no longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group. The company will also stop sponsoring Pride festivals and get-out-the-vote events, the release said. The company previously received perfect scores 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 has also eliminated measures aimed at reducing environmental impact and increasing employee diversity. The company has set goals to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from operations by 2040 and reduce water use by 2025.
Tractor Supply said it is making changes to better represent the values of the communities it serves and its customers. The retailer, which primarily caters to rural communities, has 2,250 stores in 49 states and employs 50,000 people, according to company data.
“Rural communities are the backbone of our country and what make America great,” Tractor Supply said in a news release. “We heard from our customers that we have let them down. We have taken this feedback to heart.”
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 becoming FFA’s largest supporter. Non-profit organization that promotes agricultural education for middle-aged and older adults.
The retailer was previously named to Newsweek’s 2023 list of America’s Best Workplaces for Diversity and was included in Bloomberg’s 2022 and 2023 Gender Equality Index.
The listed company has a market valuation of approximately $29 billion. CNBC reached out to Tractor Supply for more details about the changes, but the company declined to comment following publication.
The changes come amid growing anti-DEI sentiment following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action in colleges. Experts at the time predicted the ruling could have an impact on corporate hiring.
companies, including Starbucks, disney and Target, facing legal challenges over DEI initiatives targeting LGBTQ customers and employees. In February 2023, pharmaceutical giants Pfizer A scholarship program designed for college students of black, Latino and Native American ancestry eliminates race-based eligibility requirements, according to the Associated Press.
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