Big Ag and the reversal of Roe v. Wade
On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, overturning Roe v. Wade after 50 years of federal abortion protections. In the immediate aftermath of the decision, corporations including Amazon, Microsoft and Target announced they would pay travel costs for employees who travel out of state to access abortions.
But agriculture companies weren’t as forthcoming about how they would — or would not — be changing their policies in response to rapidly tightening abortion restrictions.
A group of Investigate Midwest reporters at the end of June started calling and emailing 11 leading agriculture companies to ask if, and how, they are supporting employees seeking abortions. Only one answered specific questions.
— Madison McVan, investigative reporter
Big Ag companies largely silent in wake of Roe v. Wade reversal | Investigate Midwest Staff
The biggest food and agriculture companies in the U.S. are largely staying silent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, sparking outrage among liberals and celebration from conservatives. Major American companies such as Amazon, Meta, Kroger, Microsoft and Target announced plans to reimburse employees who travel out-of-state for abortion services. Leading agriculture corporations, however, have not said whether they will be following suit.
Investigate Midwest repeatedly called and emailed 11 major agricultural companies over the past month. Eight did not respond. Two declined to comment. Only one, Bayer, provided a detailed statement describing the company’s position on abortion access.
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