Deere & Co

Food shortages and improved agricultural sustainability are two major global challenges. Deere & Co. is a global leader in manufacturing and distributing agricultural machinery, commanding around a quarter of the market. Deere’s Smart Industrial strategy is helping to revolutionise agriculture and construction.

With a growing global human population, there is a clear need for enhanced agricultural sustainability and efficiency relating to crop production. Deere’s industry-leading technology ensures it is well-placed to benefit from these secular trends.

It also has a strong position in construction and forestry machinery. Through its Leap Ambitions programme, Deere is at the forefront of enhanced technology in agriculture, improving efficiencies in areas like fertilizer planting, battery technology in machinery, biofuel usage and crop yields.  

Deere & Co. combines excellent cashflows and technical leadership within a growing market to be a reliable creator of long-term shareholder value.

Whilst the company has made net zero commitments, its products are used in environmentally intensive industries (e.g. agriculture, mining and construction). Concerns include emissions from the manufacture and use of the equipment itself, the impact of large-scale machinery within the environment and waste generation.

Additionally, although forming a minor proportion of overall revenue, Deere supplies both standard machinery and specialised vehicles to the military market, where they are used by military infrastructure services as well as in active deployment.

The company’s operations carry a number of labour and human rights risks. Workforce exposure to heavy machinery, moving equipment, and electrical hazards presents significant health and safety risks. The company also make use of raw materials including critical minerals.