This research is about the strategic capabilities and resources of sustainability-oriented businesses in the agri-food sector. We apply the lens of the natural resource-based view (NRBV) to two exemplary value chains in the Northern German agri-food sector. First, we explore the position of the focal firm, its suppliers, buyers and collaboration partners in the agri-food chain to reveal their relationships and interconnections. Responding to a call by McDougall et al. (2019) for more research on the manifestation of NRBV resources in different contexts, we show how small enterprises employ capabilities that facilitate environmentally and socially sustainable economic activity. Among others, stakeholder alignment on environmental and/or social sustainability is found crucial in the investigated value chains. Local philanthropy and product stewardship are found to be highly related, and both enhance reputation and legitimacy, enabling differentiation through the integration of stakeholders and social support. The paper culminates in an extension of the NRBV conceptual framework.