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McCain Foods is more committed than ever to LGBTQIA+ support, a company HR director has revealed, despite other businesses with ties to farming and rural communities rolling back on DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) programs in recent months.
Several companies with deep ties to the farming industry or rural communities across America, including John Deere, Tractor Supply, and Harley Davidson, have scrapped sponsorship of LGBTQIA+ events such as Pride, and redirected employee resource groups (ERGs) toward core business activities.
The organizations have faced social media activist campaigns from anti-DEI proponents including Robby Starbuck. In a statement shared in June, for example, Tractor Supply said it would divert attention away from “nonbusiness activities,” including the sponsorship of Pride festivals, toward investment in “rural America priorities.”
But Will Stutzman, Senior Advisor of Organizational Development at McCain has confirmed the company is more committed than ever to LGBTQIA+ support, and more broadly to DEI.
In an interview with Built In, Stutzman stated the company is “proud of the role we play in helping to create sustainable livelihoods for farmers and their families and contribute to an inclusive local economy, supported by local development programs, donations and volunteering.”
What is McCain Foods’ stance on DEI?
McCain Foods employs 20,000 workers across the US, the UK, Canada, and India, with 3,500 farmer partners around the world with nearly all found in rural areas.
According to Stutzman, who leads ‘Pride,’ McCain’s ERG for LGBTQIA staff, the company is leaning heavily into its “Thriving Communities” sustainability pillar, championing LGBTQIA+ community groups during Pride Month and beyond.
“Pride programming included a number of different education and discussion events, raising awareness through internal communication channels and supporting local LGBTQIA+ community groups,” he told Built In. “So instead of only hosting internal events, we were proud to include a give-back aspect, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and raising awareness.”
The mission of McCain and its ‘Pride’ ERG is to foster belonging and empowerment for lesbian, gay, transgender, nonbinary, queer, and questioning individuals, alongside including those who are allies or interested in supporting the community.
In the interview, Stutzman also spoke on McCain’s global DEI commitment that “encourages individuals to thrive while being their authentic selves.” Other ERGs – such as its Asian Resource Community ERG – also support this commitment, though Pride inherently places a particular emphasis on education around gender and sexuality which “may often not be a visible dimension of diversity.”
How is McCain supporting LGBTQIA+ employees & ‘rural’ communities through DEI?
McCain has focused in recent months on education, awareness, and understanding around anti-LGBTQ+ hate, including inviting expert speakers such as Fae Johnstone to company-led events.
But the business is also introducing tangible changes for employees, too. McCain North America recently introduced benefits for gender-affirming surgery and many of our office spaces now have gender-neutral washrooms,” the company’s HR leader noted.
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Close partnerships between ERGs across the business, he added, have helped demonstrate a shared and ongoing commitment to DEI and are important to the long-term goals of the company.
“It’s important to remember that pride and allyship should not be isolated to an event or moment in time,” he explained. “ERGs help foster an environment of belonging and play a role in our DEI strategy, which is critical to our future success.”
Why is McCain’s stance on DEI noteworthy?
In their statements announcing rollbacks on DEI policies, several American employers attributed the decision to end sponsorship of Pride events and LGBTQIA+ training to feedback from local communities including customers.
“We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them,” Tractor Supply stated, for example.
However, the decisions have drawn criticism from the LGBTQIA+ community as well as other groups advocating for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
“Tractor Supply Co is turning its back on their own neighbors with this shortsighted decision. LGBTQ+ people live in every zip code in this country, including rural communities,” said Eric Bloem, VP of Programs and Corporate Advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group to whom the company previously supplied employee data.
Unlike other employers with a heavy presence in ‘rural’ communities, Stutzman asserted that McCain will not abandon its stance on DEI or LGBTQIA+ support.
“We all have a right to be who we are and feel safe, despite all the forces who try to limit our voices,” he said.
Many of the companies that have cancelled LGBTQIA+ training, redirected employee resource groups, and ended sponsorship of events like Pride were targeted by conservative activist Robbie Starbuck. Starbuck has publicly stated he is targeting companies with large conservative customer bases.
McCain will continue striving to foster a culture where employees can be their authentic selves through its DEI programs and ERGs. “Equitable employers create diverse and inclusive workplaces where employees can share unique perspectives, respect one another’s individual needs and reach their full potential without barriers,” Stutzman said.
