I'm getting near the end of the half-pound of Mexican vanilla I bought just before prices went totally nuts (that packet of beans cost me $55). Not sure what I'm going to do when I run out.

One factor not mentioned in the article is the increased demand from industrial users. Food processors having been trying to replace artificial flavors with natural, and there isn't enough vanilla to go around. Global production is actually quite small, compared to say coffee or chocolate. And it seems unnecessary. Synthetic vanillin is identical to real vanillin. Admittedly, it lacks the additional secondary flavor chemicals that make real vanilla tastier, but does that really matter to Jell-O pudding?