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John Deere is joining a list of large American companies backing off from diversity policies in the face of conservative criticism. 

The maker of John Deere tractors and other agricultural machinery on Tuesday said it would no longer participate in "social or cultural awareness" events. The company will also audit its mandated training materials to make sure they do not contain "socially motivated messages," Moline, Illinois-based John Deere said in a statement posted on social media.

The move comes only weeks after retailer Tractor Supply shut down its corporate diversity efforts, and illustrates the growing pressure on companies to shelve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The announcements by both companies come amid an online campaign by conservative activists that mark another chapter in an ongoing debate about the efficacy and fairness of policies aimed at making organizations more diverse and inclusive.

For decades, many U.S. corporations, colleges and other organizations have followed DEI principles, but the ideas gained momentum four years ago following a Minneapolis police officer's murder of George Floyd. In the aftermath of his death, many companies pledged to beef up their DEI efforts to make their staff more racially and culturally representative. 

The Supreme Court's 2023 ruling ending affirmative action in college admissions further emboldened the movement by conservative and anti-DEI activists to seek the end of such policies in the workplace. 

"War on wokeness"

At the forefront in slamming both John Deere and Tractor Supply on the platform X, conservative political commentator and filmmaker Robby Starbuck called John Deere's announcement "another huge win in our war on wokeness." Still, the company's steps are insufficient, Starbuck posted, who called on the company to completely remove its DEI policies.

Brentwood, Tennessee-based Tractor Supply did just that last month, axing all of its DEI roles and goals. It also promised to no longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's biggest advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights. 

Starbuck, a 35-year-old Cuban American, told The Associated Press that "it's not lost on me my kids would benefit from this stuff," but he opposes hiring decisions that factor in race, as well as DEI initiatives, employee resource groups that promote non-professional activities and any policies that in his view allow social issues and politics to become part of a company culture.

"People should go to work without having to feel like they have to behave a certain way in order to be acceptable to their employer," he said.

Eric Bloem, vice president of programs and corporate advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, described John Deere's decision "disappointing," calling it "a direct result of a coordinated attack by far-right extremists on American business." 

National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd, Jr., on Wednesday called for the resignation of Deere CEO John May and a boycott of the company, saying John Deere "continues to move in the wrong direction" in regards to DEI and has "failed to show its support" for Black farmers since NBFA's founding. 

The organization also noted John Deere's announcement came a month after the company agreed to pay $1.1 million in back wages and interest to 277 Black and Hispanic job applicants after the Labor Department alleged hiring discrimination.

Target last month said it was reducing the count of stores carrying Pride Month-related merchandise after the retail chain had in the prior year faced "confrontational behavior" that had threatened workers' safety. 

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York, where she covers business and consumer finance.