This aerial photograph shows a field of cultivated flax, with blooming flowers in Francieres, northern France on July 17, 2026. In 2026 in France, nearly 200,000 hectares of flax are under cultivation, an increase of 10% compared with 2025, according to the European Flax and Hemp Alliance. Climate change, causing water shortages, heat waves and large temperature fluctuations that can slow its growth and reduce yields, is having an impact, but the industry is organizing and investing in research to hold its ground. (Photo by Pierre BEAUVILLAIN / AFP via Getty Images)