Kellogg and PepsiCo led food and beverage companies in terms of water use efficiency according to a recent report from Lux Research. But the market analyst said while resource productivity is a crucial metric for calculating long-term profitability and sustainability, the consumer packaged goods sector as a whole needs better information in order to avoid resource risks.

For the study, Lux analyzed 4,000 companies and focused on 18 that lead the CPG sector and reported sustainability numbers on variables such as water usage, energy consumption and waste generation. Kellogg generated more than $1,200 of revenue per kiloliter (kL) of water used, compared with an average of $600/kL for all diversified food companies. Diversified beverage companies averaged under $400/kL with PepsiCo the best in its class at about $600/kL.