It is hard to imagine successfully commercializing ecosystem goods and services without substantial participation of the private sector. The capital, facilities, know-how, and markets that businesses command make them strong potential investors and partners for nature-based enterprises of the poor. In Southwestern Ghana, the Swiss Lumber Company has entered into contracts with rural farmers to grow hardwoods on degraded lands, where they will not compete with agriculture. The company provides a lump-sum down payment, a 20-50 percent share (depending on the size of the down payment) of the timber at harvest, and an annual land rent. In return, Swiss Lumber
