Deere & Company (John Deere) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that addresses the right to repair equipment. Signed at the 2023 AFBF Convention in Puerto Rico, the MOU comes after years of negotiation and debate between AFBF and John Deere. AFBF notes that the agreement will help farmers to access tools and resources needed to repair their equipment.
“A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a press release. “The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.”
Farmers and ranchers having the ability to fix their own equipment has been a prominent issue in recent years, as equipment continues to become more complex. Numerous efforts have been undertaken on a state and federal level to provide farmers with more flexibility when it came to equipment repairs. As a condition of the MOU, AFBF has made the commitment to encourage state Farm Bureaus to “refrain from introducing, promoting, or supporting federal or state ‘Right to Repair’ legislation.” John Deere will retain the right to pull out of the agreement if legislation or regulation is enacted “relating to issues covered by this MOU and/or ‘Right to Repair.’”
The MOU details the access farmers will have to diagnostic and repair codes, manuals, and product guides. Software and other proprietary information belonging to John Deere will remain protected under the MOU. Owners and third-party technicians will also be barred from overriding safety features in any equipment. John Deere will continue to meet with AFBF at least twice a year to evaluate the impact of the MOU. AFBF is hopeful that the agreement can serve as a template for similar voluntary agreements with other manufacturers.
About the Author
