The importance of Biofuels

The political instability has contributed to the rising oil prices globally. Furthermore the majority of the world's oil fields will reach maximum petroleum extraction capacity in 2020. This impending crisis has increased the importance of finding an alternative energy solution. Biofuels, however is nothing new and tracks back to the early 19th century, where the first internal combustion engines were designed to run on alcohol. 

Since the 19th century the search has progressed to find more effective methods of alternative energy. From edible crops such as soya bean, sugar cane and oil palm to the cellulosic biomass of poplar trees and switchgrass, to toxic shrubs like Jatropha.
More recently the second-generation biofuels source Moringa oleifera has silenced most of the biofuels critics. The Moringa tree has no direct competition with food crops as it is an edible source of fuel and can be grown for both food and fuel.
During 2009, biofuels provided 1.8% of the world's transport fuel and investments keep pushing this lucrative industry. New policies are incentives are stimulating this fledgling industry as the search continue to find a much needed alternative to petroleum.