This week the City Weekend team is paying attention to what we put in our mouths. From shopping to dining, we'll be posting articles every day to help you eat delicious, healthy food without screwing up the planet.

Organic fever has hit Shanghai, but confusing labels have followed. “Green,” “pollution-free” and “organic”–what does it all mean? Collective Responsibility blogger and Shanghai resident Leigh Billings says there is a hierarchy of organic standards here.

“Pollution-free” meets domestic standards for the acceptable use of chemical compounds.

“Green” food requires the use of reduced pesticides and a relatively pollution-free growing environment.

“Organic” food meets organic standards in both domestic and foreign markets.

While you can buy everything from organic duck eggs to cilantro at larger grocery stores, restaurants are tougher to find. Qimin Organic Hot Pot, a Taiwanese-owned eatery that sources its vegetables from its own farm outside Suzhou, entered the Shanghai market to see if the city was ready to try its organic offerings. “We wanted to give people a taste of how good their produce could be,” says Lauren Liu, marketing manager of Qimin’s parent organization, Yuen Food Yu Biotech. “Our restaurant aims to breed awareness in the community as to how much tastier and healthier organic produce and free-range chicken and beef raised without antibiotics can be.”

Some organic food providers have forgone the certification process, which is expensive and bureaucratic. For FIELDS, a local online grocery store that hosts a farmers’ market at el Willy on Saturdays, certified organic does not always mean better.

Steve Liang, FIELDS’ managing director, says that even though some of what his company sources doesn’t have full certification, he visits all of the farms and makes sure that everything is grown according to organic standards. Restaurants such as Madison, el Willy, Goga and Napa Kitchen all trust FIELDS to supply many of their fruits, veggies and meat.

Read more about eating right in Shanghai. See our exclusive ethical recipe from Anna Maya, the top five ethical dishes in town, top vegetarian restaurants in town, vegetarianism in Shanghai and sustainable seafood in China.