Sorry, but I have to disagree. It's not at all like a loan,...

Sorry, but I have to disagree. It's not at all like a loan, because of the risk. Now that they have sold the trees, the risk of the asset being destroyed (by fire, for example) is carried by the new owners.

Also, depending on the contract of HOW they are going to buy them back (e.g. has a price or a pricing formula been fixed?), the "interest" as you call it, is not necessarily known in advance.

I don't know too much about the details of this sale, but I really think you're painting it in a deliberately negative light. You must be a journalist.