“Our”: The dirty word of direct trade

It only takes three letters to harm a business partnership in a developing country: O-U-R.Our.Mirriam-Webster Definition--“relating to or belonging to us: made or done by us.”The word “our” is a possessive pronoun, and the last thing the Kingdom Growers Coffee Company wants to be is possessive.KG has no right to use the word when referring to cooperatives, farms or farmers. We don’t own any coffee farms. We don’t employ any growers. We certainly didn’t start Cultivadores del Reino, the partner cooperative in Honduras with which we work. We refer to growers as "KG farmers" only because "Cultivadores del Reino" translates to "Kingdom Growers." So, these people, places, and organizations aren’t “ours.”As partners in direct trade, we buy coffee from Cultivadores del Reino farmers and both the cooperative and the business benefit. The fair exchange of coffee relies on that balance.As you evaluate community-building businesses and organizations, notice how they refer to their partners in developing nations or to the people they help. Do they speak possessively, as if they wield authority over the impoverished? Or, do they talk as if those people are equals who work with them toward a common goal?It’s a small distinction, but it’s important. Give your support and your patronage to businesses and organizations that build dignity among the poor.We are all created God’s image. The only possessive pronoun we really need to use is “His.”