To GM or not to GM remains the Shakespearean conundrum a number of African countries still find themselves in. But is there a way to exploit biotechnology without causing such public unease? Selection with Markers and Advance Reproductive Technology (SMART) breeding could be the answer.

Less than 2 per cent of the Kenya's agriculture is irrigated, largely due to the prohibitive cost of equipment and diesel. This leaves farmers extremely vulnerable to drought and puts the country’s food security at great risk. The Sunflower water pump hits all the right environmental notes - running on clean and renewable energy. It retails at around USD 400 which, in comparison to its diesel-fuelled counterparts - costing roughly USD 2,800 - is a near night and day difference. Furthermore, as there are no fuel costs, the initial investment can be recouped in 1-2 years. As such, Sunflower presents a compelling economic case.

Another innovation by BRCK, dubbed Kio Kit, is set to bring a revolution in the Education sector. It is a merger of hardware, software, content and connectivity to offer solutions to the most remote areas of Africa and the world.

The upcoming COP21 in Paris is an important one for Africa as the continent who suffers the most from climate change, and for the world who wants to replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is expected that issues such as climate financing, information-sharing climate-smart agriculture and technology transfer will dominate the talks.

An unidentified object hovers over Nairobi's Nyayo Stadium during 2014's Jamuhuri Day celebrations. In a country that has had it's fair share of terror attacks, this sighting is met not so much with wonder as anxiety. The Chief of the Kenya Defense Forces immediately sets out to find who is behind it. It turns out to be a Kenyan media house capturing some aerial shots of the proceedings in advance of the President's arrival. Orders follow that the device be landed immediately. It is brought safely to the ground. What was the cause for all the fuss? A drone. Referred to in other quarters as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs). A vehicle that could drive Kenyan agriculture into the future.

While development of better innovations and technologies hold a promise to lowering the cost of and thus acceptance of alternative renewable power in the society, various international government-led initiatives can help accelerate and popularize adoption of these alternatives, through policy changes, funding and pulling various partnerships.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Attributed to King Nebuchadnezzar II and described by writers of the time as a pensile paradise. Resembling large green mountains constructed of mud bricks; these gardens were the pride of the ancient Babylonians. Legend has it that the King created the gardens for his queen who missed the green hills and valleys of her homeland. Who would have thought that this gesture of affection would set the trend for modern agriculture today? Vertical farming, the act of growing food in high-rise buildings, could change the way we produce food in the future.

There is some oddness, a sense of remoteness that comes up when technology and Africa are used in the same sentence. It is like thinking of a rainforest at the heart of the Sahara or Kalahari Desert. However, at the heart of Nairobi, Kenya, a team of software developers, engineers, and technologists are rewriting the story of Africa from remoteness and oddness to possibilities. BRCK is a device seeking to solve problems of electricity, internet connections, problems that are eminent in both rural and urban areas in Africa.

Huge dams have been touted as effective in providing drinking and irrigation water, all cheaply and sustainably. Recent studies reveal otherwise as most of these projects in sub-Sahara turn out to be more costly than planned. A recent study has quantified claims that large dams also lead to more malaria being spread in the sub-Saharan, thus adding more weight to concerns on whether these projects should be pursued actively in favor of the alternatives.

One of the largest impedement towards implementation of renewable energy in reducing emissions is their high cost. Reduction of costs of utility-scale renewable energy projects is important towards increasing the deployment and acceptability of solar and wind power projects. Renewable energy auctions, technology innovation and feed-in-tariffs are some of the methods suggested for the future and which have tried before to reduce installation and final consumer costs.