Short answers, pulled from the story.
Biofuel is fuel derived from biological sources produced over a short time span from biomass. It differs fundamentally from fossil fuels like oil which form through very slow natural processes spanning millions of years.
Most commercial efforts to produce fuel from algae were abandoned by 2017 due to economic constraints. Algae-based fuels degrade faster than other options and do not flow well in cold temperatures.
Brazil stands as the largest producer of bioethanol globally while the European Union leads production of biodiesel instead. The United States produced 37 million tonnes that same year and South America followed with 23 million tonnes.
Global biofuel production reached 81 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2017. This represented an annual increase of about 3% compared to 2010 levels.
Worldwide 10% of all grain turns into biofuel which drives up food costs in food-insecure regions. This shift reduces available land for growing essential crops and exacerbates global food insecurity.