This negotiation focuses on resetting the price of an annual maple syrup contract in a relationship shaped by years of gradual concessions.
The seller has invested in sustainability upgrades and rising production costs have pushed margins to a breaking point. The buyer faces ongoing pressure to control spending and expects continued efficiency gains to translate into lower prices.
Both sides know their fallback options, both recognize the relationship’s operational value, and both must decide whether to continue the downward pricing trend or establish a new baseline.
The exercise gives instructors a clean platform to explore BATNAs, anchoring, pricing patterns, and how easily a routine renewal becomes a test of whether and how to shift an established trajectory.