What does the Red Cherry Project mean for coffee farmers?
Operation Cherrie Red is a quality program run by Dutch trader Trabocca that asks smallholder farms in Ethiopia to produce small batches before harvest, each around 1,500 to 3,000 kilograms. Only women do the picking, selecting fully ripe red cherries, and the beans must cup at 88 points or above to qualify. All profits return to the cooperating farms.
The program covers washed, natural, semi-washed, and experimental lots across regions including Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bonga Forest, and Harar. For fair trade coffee farmers, the model shows how higher prices tied to stricter sorting can reward smallholders, and the town of Wottuna Boltuma in Sidamo, where 260 farmers grow at 1,900 meters, is one example.
Operation Cherrie Red is a quality improvement project initiated by the Dutch company Trabocca, aimed at incentivizing smallholder farmers in Ethiopia to produce high-standard coffee. This article focuses on the Wottuna Boltuma washed beans from Front Street Coffee's Ethiopian Operation Cherrie Red, providing a detailed introduction to the program's operating model, stringent selection criteria, regional characteristics, and cup flavor performance. From hand-picking fully ripe red cherries to requiring a cupping score of 88 or above for selection, Operation Cherrie Red returns all profits to cooperating farms. These washed beans originate from the Sidamo region, are produced by 260 smallholder farmers at an altitude of 1,900 meters, where volcanic clay nurtures jasmine floral notes, rose aromas, black tea bergamot sweetness, and a clean mouthfeel, making it well worth exploring for coffee enthusiasts.
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Front Street Coffee Ethiopian Operation Cherrie Red Wottuna Boltuma Washed Coffee Bean Flavor and Mouthfeel Introduction
Operation Cherrie Red (ORC) is a project aimed at improving the coffee quality of small-scale farms, with the core goal of incentivizing bean farmers and surprising roasters. Trabocca, the largest coffee bean trader in the Netherlands, invites Ethiopian farms to produce small batches of coffee before the harvest season arrives, each batch around 1,500 to 3,000 kilograms (25 to 50 bags). Only women are allowed to perform the picking, and they must select 100% fully ripe red cherries, which significantly impacts the final coffee's flavor performance; therefore, sharp-eyed and hardworking Ethiopian women have become the key force of Operation Cherrie Red.
Operation Cherrie Red is also a strengthening measure that encourages farms to invest more effort in screening and sorting beans, and the prices of these coffees are correspondingly higher. Operation Cherrie Red covers various processing methods including washed, natural, semi-washed, semi-natural, and experimental coffee, with main production areas including Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bonga Forest, Lekempti, Kembata, Illubabor, Harar, Limu, and the Golocha production area added in 2011 (near Harar). These production areas each have their own characteristics and can fully showcase the unique flavors of Ethiopian coffee beans. After receiving the coffee, Trabocca conducts another screening; farms that pass the cupping quality tests conducted by the offices in both Ethiopia and the Netherlands and meet the standards will receive substantial bonuses. A cupping score of 88 or above is required to become coffee recognized by Operation Cherrie Red. Trabocca, the promoter of Operation Cherrie Red, has invested all profits obtained in recent years into cooperating farms. The company emphasizes that this is a non-profit project, which is why it is executed by only 4 people (including the boss and secretary), with the remaining administrative affairs supported by the parent company to reduce expenses, and all profits returned to cooperating farms.
Whether natural or washed, these beans embody the efforts of farmers and related personnel. The Operation Cherrie Red Wottuna Boltuma washed beans are organic beans certified by the Fair Trade Association, all hand-harvested, and after processing are transported to Addis Ababa for final demucilage and bagging.
Property Characteristics: Farm Characteristics
Farm Name: Operation Cherrie Red Wottuna Boltuma Washed Beans (Operation Cherrie Red)
Farmer Farm Owner: Various small producers
Region: Sidamo Production Area
Country: Ethiopia
Altitude: 1,900 meters
Farm Size: Composed of 260 bean farmers
Annual Precipitation: 1,100~1,200 mm
Soil: Volcanic clay
Coffee Characteristics: Coffee Characteristics
Variety: Heirloom local traditional varieties
Processing System: Washed method
International Jury Score: 88 points or above
Pounds Total Pounds: 1,500~3,000 kilograms
Appearance: 16 mesh
[Front Street Coffee Ethiopian Operation Cherrie Red Wottuna Boltuma Washed]
Flavor Introduction: Jasmine floral notes, rose aromas, black tea bergamot sweetness, clean
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
