So, will mediation finally become the ingredient needed to bring these two business partners to a signed agreement in time for the crop season?
We asked the Director of Finance about the possibility that not even an outside mediator can help them resolve their disputes. Here are those comments:
Reporter
"Mediation isnt a binding legal procedure and either side can renage and frustrate or derail that process, is that a concern for you that even this late into the matter a disagreement so big can happen that the mediation process crashes and we end up where we dont have an agreement in time for the crop?"
Shawn Chavarria, Director Finance, BSI/ASR
"I think if both sides have come to the point where they say look 'we have come to the stage where we want to invite a mediator', you have to approach it in good faith. You have to say 'you know what we are going to take this step in good faith and try to see if you can reach an agreement. So, we are not going into this with any sort of mindset that it's going to fail before it starts and that's why we've agreed to go through with this process. It is a voluntary one yes, but that's why in terms of the terms of reference, there's an agreement there that there has to be an independent person that comes in to try to see if they can help the parties come closer to an agreement."
We have a bit more sugar talk from the two sides, which we'll share with you tomorrow.
