MOUVE project and the LIFLOD network are developing a research focused on the better understanding of the mental models about livestock at local scale, with the goal to report the results at global scale. The authors present the results based on a set of 13 sites selected according to: (1) the interest of the local team; (2) significance of the local context, and its representation of the diversity at global scale. The sites are located in South America, Europe, North and West Africa, South-East Asia and China. Data collection used interviews with local people involve in livestock sector: farmers, traders, unions, agro-industries, development agencies, local governance or regional policymakers, NGO representatives. The collected information concerns: functions of livestock, points of view on past, current situation and future of livestock sector in the area, main factors of change, themes of debate at local scale, livestock farming systems in the future and position on environmental issues. Results relates to: (1) the diversity of the functions of livestock; (2) the diversity of the mental models between the sites linked to the local contexts and the contrasts between the sites; (3) the similarities between the sites, more particularly between the groups of local people (i.e agroindustries) but not within farmers; (4) common representations: environmental sector has a critical position about the livestock impacts, livestock subsector usually wants to improve the farming productivity, and local governance tries to find a consensual positions. The results give a great overview about the diversity of the mental models, especially the difference into and between the sites and the groups of local people.