By Ross Kerber and Utkarsh Shetti
(Reuters) – Deere investors voted overwhelmingly against a resolution aimed at its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on Wednesday, continuing a pattern of shareholder distaste for anti-DEI measures despite Republican political pressure on executives.
During a webcast of its annual meeting, executives with the farm equipment maker said only 1.3% of votes cast were in support of a resolution calling on the company to report on racial and gender hiring statistics “to prove it does not practice discrimination.”
The resolution was filed by the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative-leaning Washington think tank that has opposed many corporate diversity efforts. Two other resolutions aimed at restricting social action by Deere won similarly low levels of support.
Deere’s meeting was closely watched because in July it became one of the first major U.S. companies to back away from supporting programs such as LGBTQ+ pride events.
Numerous other U.S. companies have retreated from DEI in recent months, particularly as the Trump administration has stepped up threats to companies and institutions that engage in those efforts.
But many investors and executives see DEI efforts as necessary to address underrepresentation of certain populations in management roles. On Tuesday, Apple investors voted in defense of the company’s DEI policies, as did Costco investors in January.
(Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Rod Nickel)
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