Seed longevity describes the capacity of a seed to remain viable after it reaches maturity on the mother plant. Ageing makes seeds to accumulate damage, and consequently, to lose germination potential and finally to die. The search for mechanisms regulating this trait is a longstanding goal in agriculture because of its impact on storage and crop yields. It is becoming clear in the last years that the key to survival relies in a combination of multiple genetic pathways involving different seed structures. In addition, parental environment has also a major impact on seed longevity, although the molecular pathways transducing these cues are not well understood We have used the powerful genetic toolkit of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to characterise factors contributing to generate seeds that resist deterioration. We will present results to demonstrate how the seed coat, providing permeation protection to the embryo, is a critical factor in seed longevity, and how perturbations of lipid and flavonoid composition of this structure during seed development can have unexpected consequences in seed quality properties. We will also show recent approaches to ascertain how the environment during the mother-plant growth may influence seed longevity, and we will present some of the genes responsible to transduce these environmental cues. Even vegetative characteristics, such as plant architecture, may have an effect on the future seeds. In overall, an intricate compendium of factors during plant growth, seed development and environment determines the final properties of a seed. In a manner of a butterfly effect, perturbation of these factors can have dramatic consequences on their quality.