The absurdity of this event is surface-level when you take into consideration the farmer’s past negligent communication style. What lies beneath is quite contrary to absurdity.

It’s easy to get excited and want to cry foul over this…but even my own limited understanding of contract and trade law (which is not of Western import) makes me pause due to the tremendous nuances involved in this case.

This is compounded further when we consider the technological aspects (discussing legally binding matters via text in lieu of more sophisticated/trustworthy means).

In reality, if the farmer put just a little bit more effort in communicating on a business level (beyond “yups” and “emojis”) or if the buyer demanded more from the buyer (“I need to know what you mean”), this could have all been avoided. This is especially so if both parties had a better understanding of the law or greater empathy for one another in a business sense.