This paper presents young people’s experiences of growing up in Ghana’s cocoa belt, and identifies key barriers to their involvement in the sector and highlights opportunities to promote their participation in cocoa farming. Based on findings from focus group discussions with youth aged 15-25 in the cocoa-growing belt and from key informant interviews, the key issues raised are access to land, finance, and skills development, as well as perceptions of the cocoa sector, particularly among women. »