What is the Red Cherry Project? Which Coffee Regions in Ethiopia Implement It? Introduction to Natural Process Red Cherry

Yirgacheffe: Ethiopia's Premium Coffee Region

Yirgacheffe has long been one of Ethiopia's most important coffee growing regions. Coffee from this area features elegant floral aromas, bright and refreshing fruit acidity, and other distinctive flavor characteristics. It is often the first choice for many people entering the world of specialty coffee, which is why FrontStreet Coffee includes beans from this region in its introductory selection series.

This region possesses an exceptional natural environment for coffee cultivation. Located in central Ethiopia, it is part of the East African Rift Valley and one of the world's highest altitude coffee growing regions, with cultivation elevations reaching 1700-2100 meters. Historically a wetland area, it boasts abundant water resources and phosphate-rich soil. The high altitude combined with diverse topography creates varied microclimates with significant temperature differences between day and night, making it perfectly suited for coffee growth.

The region is characterized by typical courtyard-style cultivation, with coffee trees naturally scattered throughout forests, farmlands, and backyards. The trees are primarily managed by individual farmers or cooperatives. During harvest season, farmers collect the coffee cherries and deliver them to nearby processing stations or cooperatives for handling and export.

The Challenge: Quality vs. Quantity

However, due to historically low coffee prices, farmers earned minimal income. To earn more money, they had to rely on quantity. Consequently, during harvest season, farmers would harvest all cherries from the trees regardless of ripeness, resulting in batches that included unripe, overripe, and even damaged cherries. Due to this inconsistent quality, local buyers and processing plants would offer lower prices for these beans, creating a vicious cycle.

This practice continued for a long time until 2007, when a green coffee trader from the Netherlands recognized the drawbacks of this system and believed it was unsustainable for development. They proposed a win-win plan known as "Operation Cherry Red."

Operation Cherry Red: A Quality Revolution

Trabocca, one of the Netherlands' largest coffee traders, initiated Operation Cherry Red as a project to improve quality on small-scale farms. According to the project requirements, Trabocca invites local farms during harvest season to produce specific batches of coffee beans, each ranging from 1500 to 3000 kilograms. These batches must be entirely hand-picked and consist of 100% fully ripe red cherries. In return, Trabocca purchases these batches at prices several times higher than market rates.

As a result, farmers' incomes increase significantly. At the same time, to ensure quality, farmers invest more time and effort in maintaining coffee bean quality, naturally driving up green coffee prices. Additionally, Trabocca's requirement for small batches allows processing plants more time and attention to handle these coffee cherries properly, ensuring quality control.

Quality Assurance and Community Investment

However, Trabocca doesn't purchase all submitted coffee. They conduct two rounds of cupping screenings—one in Ethiopia's capital and another in Amsterdam, Netherlands—accepting only beans that meet their standards and providing substantial bonuses to qualifying farmers. Furthermore, Trabocca invests in processing plants, adding equipment, providing financial loans, and sharing knowledge with farmers to improve production levels and assist local communities in producing higher quality coffee beans.

In essence, Operation Cherry Red encourages farmers to diligently complete every step of coffee harvesting and processing by offering premium prices for high-quality green coffee beans. The resulting coffee beans guarantee consistent quality, superior flavor profiles, and market recognition, thereby justifying the higher purchase prices. Currently, the program operates in uniquely flavored coffee regions including Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bench Maji, and Guji, showcasing the diverse flavor profiles of Ethiopian coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Selection

Currently, FrontStreet Coffee sources coffee beans from the Operation Cherry Red program in the Yirgacheffe region, processed using the natural (dry) method. Natural processing imparts rich fruit aromas and fermented notes to the coffee beans. Combined with Yirgacheffe's distinctive flavor profile and light roasting, these beans produce a coffee with subtle fermented fruit aromatics, fresh lemon acidity, and berry and strawberry flavors when prepared through pour-over, resulting in a clean, refreshing cup.

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