LI Farm Bureau head to stay on committee

The head of the Long Island Farm Bureau has been asked to renew his seat on a national committee aimed at advising the federal government on international economic issues.

Joseph Gergela is one of 54 members on the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy, which advises the state department on important international economic matters and policy issues, according to its website.

It is chaired by Jose W. Fernandez, assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, and overseen by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The committee meets three to four times a year.

“I’m so honored to be asked to continue,” said Gergela, who said he advised Clinton, then a U.S. senator from New York, on farm matters.

The committee, which includes executives from Coca-Cola and Eli Lilly, exposes the group to what is happening in other parts of the world, including the recent economic problems in Greece, he said.

Former Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi also serves on the committee, according to its website. The Long Island Farm Bureau advocates for farmers and farming practices across the island.

Above: Farmland in Riverhead. (June 10, 2010)