John Deere — Ethics Grade C-

John Deere receives an overall ethics grade of C- (44/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Agriculture. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 35
• privacy: 50
• consumer: 25
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 60

Documented incidents (3)

• Right to Repair Monopoly (high, 2022) — Deere used software locks to prevent farmers from repairing their own tractors, forcing them to use expensive authorized dealers. This sparked lawsuits and investigations into antitrust violations.
• UAW Massive Strike (medium, 2021) — Over 10,000 workers went on strike protesting inadequate pay increases and the elimination of pensions for new hires despite the company reporting record-breaking profits.
• Clean Air Act Violations (medium, 2020) — The company was fined by the EPA for failing to comply with emission standards for non-road compression-ignition engines and failing to maintain proper documentation.

Documented good deeds

• Fully Autonomous Electric Tractor — Developed and launched its first fully autonomous electric tractor to reduce chemical use and carbon footprints on large-scale farms.

Ethical alternatives

• AGCO Corporation — More lenient repair policies and better engagement with independent mechanics.