Other produce such as rape, they argue, could not be nearly as efficiently grown without the help of bees, and an absence of the insects would load extra costs onto both shoppers and farmers.

Pollinators are estimated to save British farms nearly £700 million a year, and the new report found that three-quarters of the world’s crops, worth £403 billion, rely on them.

Professor Simon Potts from the University of Reading, who led the new research, said: “Doing nothing is a big risk that could endanger the global supply of nutritious foods and the livelihoods of millions of people.”