In all but the rarest circumstance, buyers in PES programmes will have the upper hand in the transaction, possessing more knowledge, experience and resources than the rural service providers. Such an environment is ripe for communities and landowners to unknowingly enter agreements that are, intentionally or not, structured in the buyers'favour. Any inequality in design is magnified by the fact that if contract disputes should arise, landowners would be unlikely to match the litigation resources available to the buyer.