JUCA LACSINA
Julieane Camile "Juca" Lacsina is a pioneering agritech entrepreneur who has sparked a digital revolution in Philippine agriculture through her unwavering commitment to democratizing access to quality agricultural inputs. As the co-founder and CEO of GOEden, Juca has demonstrated exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and a profound dedication to bridging the technology gap in farming communities across the Philippines.
Juca's journey began during the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic when she officially incorporated GOEden (Zion Agricultural Ventures Inc.) in 2020. Armed with a Master of Business and Science in International Agriculture from Rutgers University as a USAID STRIDE Full Scholar, she envisioned transforming the Philippine agricultural supply chain through digital innovation. Her mission centers on creating a consolidated and efficient agricultural supply chain that enables agri-supplies to reach even the most remote farming communities.
Through GOEden, Juca has built a comprehensive e-commerce platform that has served nearly 100,000 farmers across 240 municipalities in 72 provinces. Her organization offers over 4,500 SKUs from 96 agricultural brand partners, addressing the perennial challenge faced by Filipino farmers who previously had to visit multiple stores just to complete their list of needed inputs. The platform's impact is particularly evident in Central Luzon, where farmers now save PHP 2,500 per cropping season (PHP 5,000-7,500 annually) by eliminating transportation costs and time investment in sourcing agricultural inputs.
Juca's entrepreneurial spirit manifests through continuous innovation and strategic adaptation to market conditions. Her organization achieved a remarkable 6.5x revenue growth in 2023, scaling from 7-digit to 8-digit revenue while successfully raising USD 850,000 in pre-seed funding from KAYA Founders and Wavemaker. The company's proprietary e-commerce platform, built entirely in-house, rejects readily available commercial solutions in favor of customized functionality that specifically addresses Philippine market conditions and payment integration requirements.
The transformative impact of Juca's work extends beyond commercial transactions to encompass comprehensive educational initiatives. Through Tech Caravans, GOEden combines product distribution with farmer education on proper agricultural input usage, addressing critical knowledge gaps, including proper interpretation of chemical toxicity labels, appropriate personal protective equipment usage, and seed quality assessment techniques. The organization has trained 1,741 farmers in 47 barangays for digital inclusion, protecting them from fraudulent practices and ensuring they receive products that meet stated specifications.
Juca's leadership philosophy is characterized by leading by example and maintaining unwavering ethical standards. Her straightforward approach and zero tolerance for corruption have been tested through challenging circumstances, including encounters with corrupt government officials, where the organization chose to escalate issues to oversight bodies rather than compromise their principles. Despite facing personal security threats and intimidation tactics, including incidents where local government representatives visited her family's hometown to pressure the organization, GOEden maintained its principled position.
Her contributions to nation-building are multifaceted and significant. Juca's commitment to employing and developing talent in rural areas represents a strategic approach to reversing urban migration patterns while building local capacity for agricultural innovation. Her vision extends to finding top talent in far-flung areas and providing them opportunities without requiring urban relocation, directly contributing to rural economic development.
The organization's collaboration with academic institutions, including Tarlac State University, Central Luzon State University, De La Salle University, Angeles University Foundation, and the University of the Philippines Los Baños, facilitates knowledge exchange while providing students with practical experience in agritech innovation. Juca's recognition as a technical coordinator for SEARCA's Agricultural Innovation Program and her role in training Southeast Asian academics and researchers on human-centric agricultural innovation further validate her contribution to regional agricultural development.
Juca's innovative approach to agricultural supply chain management has earned her recognition as a 2024 Tatler Asia GENT Leaders of Tomorrow and inclusion in the 2024 Esquire Trailblazers List as a mover and shaker in the Philippine startup ecosystem. Her organization's zero return rate on agri-products, thanks to rigorous quality control measures, demonstrates the effectiveness of her approach to building trust in e-commerce among farming communities.
Through GOEden, Julieane Camile Lacsina has ignited a digital transformation in Philippine agriculture, democratizing access to quality inputs while empowering farming communities through education and technology. Her exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to improving farmer livelihoods while advancing national agricultural capacity make her a deserving recipient of the Ramon V. del Rosario Siklab Award 2025.