Ecosystem services are free, but often hidden. They include pollination and killing of crop pests by beneficial insects. Now, QuESSA , an EU-funded research project, due to be completed in 2017, will try and increase the visibility of such services.

Precious insect pollinators hold an almighty 153 billion euros worldwide on their industrious wings for the main crops that feed the planet every year. If they all disappeared overnight, so would 9.