Biofuel makers in Iowa are gearing up for a long and difficult recovery period as they deal with the demand shock of the COVID-19 crisis and continue to fight battles over trade policies and how federal agencies administer the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

But the state’s biofuel plants — 43 ethanol refineries and 11 biodiesel refineries — are resilient, increasingly efficient and set up for long-term success, according to Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa ...