This paper discusses examples of commercial enterprises based on forest bioresources which help to promote sustainable forest management and provide those communities closest to the forest with material incentives to manage them for the long term. Such enterprises need strong local institutions and clear supportive national policies. These conditions are more crucial to success than access to international markets of environmentally conscious consumers, which alone may lead to forest destruction through excessive demand. Shifting the focus to rural community initiatives and nearby markets could help to assuage the fears of those many people who are apprehensive about the current trend in international 'green' marketing. The exploitation of rubber at the turn of the century is cited as an example of the kind of forest destruction which can occur as international demand grows. The sustainable commercial enterprises described are: resin production from damar ( Shorea javanica ) and food production (mainly from durian ( Durio zibethinus ) and lansat ( Lansium domesticum ) from trees planted in the forest in Sumatra); fruit and nuts from the mountain forests of Himachal Pradesh; fruit processing in the northern Philippines, produced from sustainably managed upland forests; herbal medicines and crafts in Nepal, produced from wild and cultivated harvests; wildlife management in Zimbabwe; and medicine and bio- insecticide production from the bitterwood ( Quassia amara ) tree in Costa Rica. Lessons learned from these rural enterprises are discussed.