The business and politics of food isn't what it used to be. When everything was conventionally grown, organic produce and the idea of cooperatives was considered pretty radical. These days, organic products are seen everywhere, not only in health food stores or farmers markets, but as entire brands in mainstream supermarkets and superstores all around the country.

With this newfound popularity have come many questions. Terms like "organic," "natural," "locally grown" and "sustainable" all seem to keep common company, but don't necessarily mean the same thing. Let's look at a few of the terms today's shopper might encounter:

The term Organic has come to have very strict definitions these days. However, in order to make any claim to "organic-ness" a food or supplement item must meet criteria set forth by the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). They have pretty strict definitions of what organic means and have codified (and enforce) use of the term.

First, there's 100% Organic the Holy Grail label claim of organic foods. In this case, we're either talking about fruits and vegetables that were raised organically, or food products made up of completely organic ingredients.

Next, there's Organic. Any product claiming "organic" on the label must be made of at least 95% organic ingredients. Foods or supplements labeled "organic" can feature the USDA Certified Organic seal on the packaging.

The third tier of organic-related products is labeled "made with organic ingredients." In order to say this, these products must have at least 70% organic ingredients in the mix. A vegetable soup for instance, (one of the examples given on the USDA's web site) could call out that it contains "organic potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers," or that it is "made with organic vegetables."

The USDA allows some room for movement within the categories. For instance, a product labeled "made with organic ingredients" doesn't mean it's only made with 70% organic ingredients. It may have up to 93% instead. Nonetheless, it still can't jump ahead of the line to "organic" status.

Natural
Natural really doesn't have any specific, legal meaning, but it's used on just about every food item that can trace itself back to real food. (Even potato chips become "natural" under this pretty loose definition.)

Sustainable
Sustainable refers to a form of agriculture that generally favors smaller, more intimate methods of farming over large scale operations, but there are some big sustainable farms out there. Typically, sustainable dairy farms rely more on pasturing (and rotating that pasturage) more than conventional methods where the feedlot is king. Sustainable farming may not always be organic. However, any pesticide and herbicide use is usually kept to a minimum.

Fair Trade
Fair trade refers to a price paid to farmers or growers that is generally at or above the going market rate. This ensures that (at least) the price can't bottom out as it would for conventionally-traded commodities.

Shade Grown
Shade grown generally refers to a type of coffee production. Shade grown coffee is cultivated around trees and other plants, it is a traditional practice of coffee agriculture. However, clearing the land, planting only coffee trees and creating a monoculture (think cornfield) has become more common. Shade grown coffee is important because it preserves a habitat for wildlife along with providing a living for growers.

Locally Grown
Locally grown produce and locally raised meat has had a growing interest and market for the past few years. The interest in locally grown produce and locally raised livestock is a reaction to what some people see as an over-reliance on imported foods and the pollution created by transporting foods and livestock over long distances. Locally produced food can be quite varied, especially during the summer and fall. The best place to seek it out is through farmers markets and by finding out about community supported agriculture in your region. Remember, locally grown food may be sustainably grown, but not necessarily organically grown. If you can, talk to the grower directly. They are usually more than happy to discuss their farming practices, after all, they are proud of the work they do.

Green
Generally, this term is pure marketing, but it implies that some sustainable practices were used to create the product. However, this is not a legally-defined term. There are no government-mandated "green inspectors" ensuring that any company's claim to environmental friendliness is real or simply clever packaging. Doesn't mean the product or company is bad; it's just that the word "green" is no guarantee, either.