Operation Cherry Red (OCR) program was launched to inspire farmers to produce high-quality coffees, and in return gain premium payments. “We wanted to spread the message that quality pays”, stated Menno Simons (Founder of Trabocca) when he explained the first steps of the initiative. The program initially focused on helping producers to improve their quality by implementing agronomy and processing protocols. The core of the OCR project however was to add value for producers and roasters simultaneously. Now in 2025, we are reviving our Operation Cherry Red program focusing on exposing unique smallholder coffees. For roasters, this presents a unique opportunity to establish direct relationships with Ethiopian producers—an approach that challenges the norm of sourcing from regional privately-owned washing stations. By connecting directly with these exceptional smallholders, roasters can support truly impactful and traceable coffee supply chains.
In 2018 we organized the first ‘Operation Cherry Red Auction’, an extension of our OCR program. The auction not only resulted in a USD 96.292 premium for the participating growers, but also was the starting point for many successful producer-roaster relations. Until today, we are buying coffees from most of the participating producers, with Tibebu Roba and Alemayehu Daniel being prime examples of the impact of these initiatives. After submitting outstanding samples, both have been winners of the auction. From there on, we have been growing together and are now buying all their available coffee for several years. With high prices and Trabocca’s commitment to take all their coffees annually, the families gained great financial stability and have been able to improve their coffee practices as well as their family livelihood. Each year during our field trips in Ethiopia, visiting the families of Tibebu and Alemayehu is a true highlight.
After winning the OCR auction and starting to work with Trabocca, I have been able to further grow my coffee business, as well as improving the livelihood of my family. We have adopted sustainable agricultural practices like proper composting, purchased additional land, planted about 2,000 new coffee seedlings, and bought a truck to better move our coffees. Besides improving our coffee business, we could build a family house in Dilla and enabling my kids to attend highly competitive schools.
Smallholder producers typically sell their cherries to local washing stations during the harvest season, with prices ranging from 60-85 birr per kilogram, depending on the region. When the Ethiopian Coffee Exchange (ECX) has allowed smallholders to obtain their own export licenses in 2018, it created the possibility for producers to secure significantly larger shares of the FOB prices. By processing their coffee and working with an agent to transport, mill, and export their beans at third party mills gain greater control over the processing and export of their coffee, resulting in higher traceability. By paying the producers directly, they can increase their profits up to 70% of the FOB price, compared to just 30% when selling their cherries to washing stations.
Instead of buying coffee from washing stations, that typically source coffee from hundreds of smallholder producers, we buy these lots directly from the producers themselves. Offering various benefits, like:
The Ethiopian landscape of coffee production is complex and can be difficult to navigate. With more than 90 distinct ethnic groups in the country and over 80 languages, communication can be challenging, even for a native Ethiopian. Adugna Shore grew up in the Yirgacheffe area and works in the coffee industry for over 20 years. Before starting his own business, he was working at the ECX as a cupping Q-Grader. Ambitiously, he wanted to create more impact at the farmer level – mobilizing producers to create high-quality coffee and sell it internationally. With the new ECX export license regulations, this was possible.
Adunga holds access to a unique network of smallholder producers. For them, he helps to find international long-term buyers like us, Trabocca. For us, he grants us access to some of the most unique and traceable coffees that we can offer. Despite having a big office with local staff in Ethiopia he guides as a cultural bridge, as most of these smallholder producers don’t speak Amharic, the official national language of Ethiopia. Furthermore, it can be impossible to reach the producers’ farms without knowing the area. Google maps have no records of any streets in these areas – making a contact person key to guarantee good communication that results in secure supply of these coffees. Adugna helps producers with all administrative steps to export their coffees to international markets. Supervising and managing the coffees flow from the farm to local primary milling, to secondary milling, warehousing and final export.
