I think that's a more defensible position than "fake 'animal welfare'" and "propaganda for nefarious purposes". I suppose one could see giving hens room to move as "a convenient excuse to raise profit margins", but perhaps it's more like using sustainable packaging to reduce shipping costs.
I’m just quoting the article… I don’t think they’re saying that animal welfare didn’t improve, but that the purpose of the program was an excuse to raise profit margins.
It’s not exactly greenwashing but it is used as a political tool nevertheless.
But once they discovered that it’s a convenient excuse to raise their profit margins, they hopped onboard.