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Eco -Timber produced through the eco-forestry process is a product that has been milled from harvesting areas defined from a landscape assessment and with a management plan, where the forests being harvested are represented elsewhere in a protected area , where the method of harvesting maintains the ecology of the forest and surrounding areas, where the rights and needs of the customary landowners are satisfied, and where timber production is on a sustainable yield basis.  There is an increasing interest across the pacific in forest certification among regional governments, NGOs and the local communities. However, most small forest stakeholders in the South Pacific region feels that forest certification is not only expensive but requires a long term commitment from stakeholders on sustainable forest management. The costs involved will be cheaper if donor agencies are willing to subsidize some of the costs attached to forest certification otherwise an alternative system should be immediately put in place in-order for interested communities or organizations can get themselves involved. The eco-forestry concept that Greenpeace and its program partners are currently running is a response to these needs. For the last ten years Greenpeace Program has been assisting communities in the Solomon Islands to participate in a responsible forestry management practice. It helps people's understanding on the importance of their forest wealth their connections to it and the irreversible damages cause to the environment by the irresponsible activities of man. Land-owning groups were assisted to actively participate in eco-forestry as a viable income generating means with their resources base at hand. Eco forestry is a small community based forestry programme, which focuses on exporting sawn timber. It is found to be very profitable, with an average net profit to the local communities of SI1,039 per m3 of sawn timber. Landowners in return receive 3-4 times the royalty received for an equivalent amount of round log harvested.  With sound environmental principles observed the participating communities maintain or even increase food security and other forest services. It has also continue to solve the growing problem of unemployment by utilizing the under utilized annual school push-outs who hopelessly and helplessly roam the villages. Cash income generated from timber sales usually caters for child education, healthcare and other family or community commitments, as well as maintain the forest for existing customary uses, carbon financing and the need of the future generations.
 The Program is a member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and has been very instrumental in the development of the National Standards for Forest Certification in Solomon Islands. And also has a very high repute in implementing these standards with the communities it has been working with. So far the programme has a very strong market relation with the New Zealand based Imported Tropical Timber Group (ITTG) and others in Australia. It has been exporting green sawn eco-timbers to these two countries since 1998 ,and is looking for opportunities beyond Australia and New Zealand to continue develop market relations. Currently the program is eyeing the European and North American markets to supply freshly cut eco-certified hard wood from the Solomon Islands tropical rainforest.
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