diff --git a/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go b/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go
index 90ed2dd13d..4b1454b952 100644
--- a/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go
+++ b/internal/provider/kubernetes/controller.go
@@ -290,13 +290,6 @@ func (r *gatewayAPIReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, _ reconcile.Reques
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if r.backendCRDExists {
-			if err = r.processBackends(ctx, gwcResource); err != nil {
-				r.log.Error(err, fmt.Sprintf("failed processBackends for gatewayClass %s, skipping it", managedGC.Name))
-				continue
-			}
-		}
-
 		// Add the referenced services, ServiceImports, and EndpointSlices in
 		// the collected BackendRefs to the resourceTree.
 		// BackendRefs are referred by various Route objects and the ExtAuth in SecurityPolicies.
@@ -1304,23 +1297,6 @@ func (r *gatewayAPIReconciler) processBackendTLSPolicies(
 	return nil
 }
 
-// processBackends adds Backends to the resourceTree
-func (r *gatewayAPIReconciler) processBackends(ctx context.Context, resourceTree *resource.Resources) error {
-	backends := egv1a1.BackendList{}
-	if err := r.client.List(ctx, &backends); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error listing Backends: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	for _, backend := range backends.Items {
-		backend := backend //nolint:copyloopvar
-		// Discard Status to reduce memory consumption in watchable
-		// It will be recomputed by the gateway-api layer
-		backend.Status = egv1a1.BackendStatus{}
-		resourceTree.Backends = append(resourceTree.Backends, &backend)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // removeFinalizer removes the gatewayclass finalizer from the provided gc, if it exists.
 func (r *gatewayAPIReconciler) removeFinalizer(ctx context.Context, gc *gwapiv1.GatewayClass) error {
 	if slice.ContainsString(gc.Finalizers, gatewayClassFinalizer) {