Celso Furtado

Revolutionary Brazilian economist who redefined development strategies for Global South

Celso Furtado (1920-2004) created the Superintendency for the Development of the Northeast (SUDENE), combating drought-induced poverty in Brazil's poorest region. His seminal work 'The Economic Growth of Brazil' (1959) challenged Eurocentric development models.

As UNESCO's first Development Research Division director, Furtado advocated for structuralist economics tailored to post-colonial realities. He pioneered concepts like 'developmentalist nationalism', influencing policies across Latin America and Africa. Despite exile during Brazil's dictatorship, his ideas shaped UNCTAD's New International Economic Order proposals.

Furtado's interdisciplinary approach combined history, sociology, and economics, offering alternative paradigms that remain relevant in debates about sustainable development and economic sovereignty.