As a natural, environmentally-friendly, and entirely biodegradable product, linen today benefits from a good reputation and an increasing demand. Its longest fibers, flexible and silky, are exported to spinning mills around the world to become textile. The shorter one, known as tow, will be incorporated into composite materials and become skis, skateboards, furniture, and even bicycle helmets. Today, France stands out as the world's leading flax producer, with 160,620 acres (65,000 ha) of fields and 90,000 tons of fibers produced each year.