Go woke and go broke.Rather than lose $2 billion in sales — like Bud Light — a US tractor supply company has apologized to its customers on Thursday for implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, supporting human rights causes like pride festivals and emissions reduction.Instead Tennessee-based Tractor Supply — America’s largest rural-supply merchant — said it would prioritize local rural causes including veteran support, emergency responders, animal shelters, state fairs, rodeos, farmers markets and 4-H clubs."We are passionate about being good neighbours in our hometowns because without you, we would not be what we are," it said in a statement ahead of the US’ Independence Day holiday. “This sentiment highlights the company's unwavering commitment to ensuring that customers' hard-earned dollars contribute to the well-being of their communities and the livelihoods of Tractor Supply team members.”.Tractor Supply has 2,250 stores nationwide, many located within rural communities, and has been operating for more than 85 years.The company also will break from the widespread US corporate practice of submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign for the Corporate Equality Index score that the LGBTQ+ lobby group issues.Global warming efforts are also gone, as Tractor Supply promised to “withdraw our carbon emission goals, and focus on our land and water conservation efforts.”“We will continue to listen to our customers and team members. Your trust and confidence in us are the upmost importance, and we don’t take that lightly,” the company statement concluded..It comes amid criticism from US pundit Robby Starbuck — director of the anti-transgender film The War on Children —who criticized the company over its "woke agenda."In a post on Twitter (“X”) Starbuck praised the company's decisions and added: "This monumental change is thanks to all of you who supported my work exposing this, to the whistleblowers in Tractor Supply and my fellow farm owners who respectfully spoke up. I'm working to get more information about these changes but this is a fantastic moment for the fight to banish wokeness, DEI and ESG from the workplace."It comes amid consumer boycotts of products such as Bud Light which is estimated to have cost beer maker Anheuser-Busch more than $1.4 billion in sales.
