What Is Trabocca’s Red Cherry Project (ORC) in Specialty Coffee?

If you’ve ever tasted a truly exceptional Ethiopian natural process coffee—juicy, floral, with complex tropical fruit and winey depth—you may have wondered how such beans are found and selected. Many coffee lovers in China recall a memorable lot called the “Red Cherry Project” (Red Cherry), known for its standout cup profile, but struggled to find it again due to limited availability. Here’s the full story behind that coffee and the program that produced it.

In short, the Red Cherry Project—or Operation Cherrie Red (ORC)—is a quality-driven Ethiopian coffee initiative led by Dutch coffee trader Trabocca. It sources small lots (1,500–3,000 kg, or 25–50 bags) exclusively from Ethiopian smallholders, requiring them to handpick only 100% red, ripe coffee cherries. Only coffees scoring 88+ in cupping tests by Trabocca’s Ethiopia and Netherlands teams qualify, with premiums paid to farmers. The project spans multiple Ethiopian regions and includes naturals, washed, honey, and experimental processes.

What Is the Red Cherry Project (ORC)?

The Red Cherry Project, or officially Operation Cherrie Red (ORC), is a Trabocca-led initiative designed to improve the quality and market access of Ethiopian smallholder coffee. Launched before each harvest season, the project invites Ethiopian farms—many of them tiny—to produce small lots of only 1,500 to 3,000 kilograms (about 25 to 50 standard 60kg bags). The key rule? Pickers, often women, must select only fully ripe, red coffee cherries. This strict cherry selection has a significant impact on the final cup, bringing out more pronounced and desirable flavours.

Women play a central role in this process, acting as the first and most crucial quality control point. Their careful handpicking of only bright red, mature cherries sets the foundation for the project’s high cup quality. It’s labour-intensive and requires skill, making these workers indispensable to the programme’s success.

Which Processing Methods and Regions Are Involved?

The Red Cherry Project includes a wide variety of processing methods and growing regions across Ethiopia, allowing for diverse flavour profiles. Coffee is produced as washed, natural , honey , semi-washed, semi-natural, and even experimental lots. The main growing areas span some of Ethiopia’s most renowned coffee regions:

• Yirgacheffe
• Sidamo
• Pungo Forest
• Lekempti
• Kembata
• Illubabor
• Harrar
• Limu
• Golocha (near Harrar, added in 2011)

Each region contributes its own terroir-driven characteristics, from the floral, citrus notes typical of Yirgacheffe to the heavier body and berry tones found in Harrar or Sidamo coffees. The inclusion of multiple processing methods further expands the range of possible flavour experiences.

How Are Farms Selected and Rewarded?

Once the coffee is delivered, Trabocca conducts rigorous screening and cupping evaluations in both Ethiopia and the Netherlands. Only those lots that score 88 points or higher in cupping tests are accepted into the Red Cherry Project. These top-scoring coffees are then rewarded with financial bonuses, providing a strong incentive for farmers to maintain exceptional quality standards.

What makes ORC unique is that Trabocca reinvests all profits from the project directly back into the partner farms. Unlike many commercial initiatives, Trabocca emphasises that ORC is not about profit. The programme is run by just four people—including the company’s owner and secretary—while administrative support is handled by the parent company to keep overhead low. This lean structure ensures that nearly all earnings are channelled back to supporting the farmers who make the programme possible.

Who Is Trabocca and What Is Their Mission?

Trabocca is the largest coffee bean trader in the Netherlands and also deals in other primary agricultural products, including cocoa and various fresh fruits. The company is committed to sourcing high-quality raw materials while prioritising environmental sustainability and improving the livelihoods of farming communities. Through initiatives like the Red Cherry Project, Trabocca actively supports smallholder farmers by offering access to premium markets, technical guidance, and financial incentives based on quality performance.

The Red Cherry Project reflects Trabocca’s broader mission: to bridge the gap between exceptional smallholder producers in Ethiopia and specialty roasters worldwide, ensuring that quality and fairness remain at the heart of coffee trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ORC stand for in the Red Cherry Project?

ORC stands for Operation Cherrie Red, the official name of Trabocca’s Red Cherry Project. It is a quality-focused initiative that sources Ethiopian coffee from small farms based on strict ripeness and cup quality criteria.

What is special about the Red Cherry Project coffee?

The coffee is unique because only 100% red, ripe cherries are handpicked by trained workers, primarily women. These cherries are processed carefully and evaluated through rigorous cupping. Only lots scoring 88 or above are accepted, ensuring high flavour quality. The focus on ripeness and selection leads to more vibrant and complex cups.

Which coffee processing methods are used in the Red Cherry Project?

The project includes washed, natural , honey , semi-washed, semi-natural, and experimental processing methods. This variety allows for a wide range of flavour profiles depending on the region and technique used.

How does Trabocca support the farmers in the Red Cherry Project?

Trabocca reinvests all profits from the Red Cherry Project back into the partner farms. Farmers whose coffee scores 88+ in cupping receive financial bonuses. The programme is run with minimal overhead to ensure maximum returns go directly to supporting the growers.

Where are the coffee farms located in the Red Cherry Project?

Farms are located in key Ethiopian coffee-growing regions including Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Pungo Forest, Lekempti, Kembata, Illubabor, Harrar, Limu, and Golocha (added in 2011). Each region brings distinct flavour characteristics to the coffees produced.

How can I taste coffee from the Red Cherry Project?

While the original Red Cherry Project lots were rare and sold in limited quantities, similar high-scoring Ethiopian coffees from Yirgacheffe and Sidamo—including natural process lots—are available through specialty roasters. For example, FrontStreet Coffee’s Red Cherry Natural Process Yirgacheffe offers comparable profiles with ripe fruit, berries, and honey sweetness.

Recommended FrontStreet Coffee Beans for Exploring Ethiopian Origins

For those curious about the profiles typical of the Red Cherry Project’s regions, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Yirgacheffe offerings. The FrontStreet Yirgacheffe washed coffee delivers classic Ethiopian brightness with white jasmine, citrus, and a tea-like body—a great entry point. For natural-process fans, the FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee features sundried whole cherries, offering intense berry, honey, and citrus notes with a creamy mouthfeel. Both highlight the high-altitude complexity and fruity brightness of Ethiopia’s best. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.